What goes down may come up: regurgitative behaviors and their underlying gut–brain axes—insights from genetic models and related pathologies

Nov 21, 2025Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology

Regurgitation behaviors and their gut-brain connections: insights from genetic models and related health conditions

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Abstract

Regurgitation and vomiting are behaviors observed across many animal species, indicating their potential significance in various biological functions.

These behaviors may serve functions such as feeding, courtship, and predator defense.
Understanding regurgitative behaviors could provide insights into the gut-brain axis.
Recent studies in Drosophila models reveal new information about the mechanisms behind these behaviors.
The review highlights the need for further investigation into molecular, genetic, and neural circuits related to regurgitation.
Current knowledge of gut-brain connections offers a foundation for identifying new therapeutic targets.

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Most humans have experienced regurgitation and vomiting (emesis) at some point in their lives. These behaviors are also commonly observed throughout the rest of the animal kingdom, serving various functions such as feeding, courtship, defense against predators, and protection from accidental toxin ingestion. Studying these behaviors offers valuable insights into the underlying gut-brain axis and presents opportunities to identify new therapeutic targets. However, detailed mechanistic studies on the molecular, genetic, and neural circuit basis of regurgitative behaviors have been hampered until recently due to the lack of suitable genetic model organisms capable of regurgitation. This review introduces researchers to the mechanisms of regurgitative behaviors, particularly those related to the gut-brain axis. We summarize these behaviors across different taxa, review current knowledge of their underlying mechanisms with a focus on gut-brain connections, and discuss related pathologies. Finally, we present recent findings from Drosophila models of regurgitation and emesis, and outline key questions that still require attention.

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What goes down may come up: regurgitative behaviors and their underlying gut–brain axes—insights from genetic models and related pathologies

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