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Emanuilov AI, Budnik AF, Masliukov PM. Somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons of the rat gut during the development. Histochem Cell Biol 2024:10.1007/s00418-024-02322-9. [PMID: 39153131 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-024-02322-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Somatostatin (SST) is a peptide expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems, as well as in endocrine and immune cells. The aim of the current study is to determine the percentage of SST immunoreactive (IR) neurons and their colocalization with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the myenteric plexus (MP) and submucous plexus (SP) of the small intestine (SI) and large intestine (LI) of rats across different age groups from newborn to senescence using immunohistochemistry. In the MP of the SI and LI, the percentage of SST-IR neurons significantly increased during early postnatal development from 12 ± 2.4 (SI) and 13 ± 3.0 (LI) in newborn rats to 23 ± 1.5 (SI) and 18 ± 1.6 (LI) in 20-day-old animals, remaining stable until 60 days of age. The proportion of SST-IR cells then decreased in aged 2-year-old animals to 14 ± 2.0 (SI) and 10 ± 2.6 (LI). In the SP, the percentage of SST-IR neurons significantly rose from 22 ± 3.2 (SI) and 23 ± 1.7 (LI) in newborn rats to 42 ± 4.0 in 20-day-old animals (SI) and 32 ± 4.9 in 30-day-old animals (LI), before declining in aged 2-year-old animals to 21 ± 2.6 (SI) and 28 ± 7.4 (LI). Between birth and 60 days of age, 97-98% of SST-IR neurons in the MP and SP colocalized with ChAT in both plexuses of the SI and LI. The percentage of SST/ChAT neurons decreased in old rats to 85 ± 5.0 (SI) and 90 ± 3.8 (LI) in the MP and 89 ± 3.2 (SI) and 89 ± 1.6 (LI) in the SP. Conversely, in young rats, only a few SST-IR neurons colocalized with nNOS, but this percentage significantly increased in 2-year-old rats. The percentage of SST/NPY-IR neurons exhibited considerable variation throughout postnatal development, with no significant differences across different age groups in both the MP and SP of both intestines. No colocalization of SST with GFAP was observed in any of the studied animals. In conclusion, the expression of SST in enteric neurons increases in young rats and decreases in senescence, accompanied by changes in SST colocalization with ChAT and nNOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey I Emanuilov
- Department of Human Anatomy, Yaroslavl State Medical University, Yaroslavl, Russia
| | - Antonina F Budnik
- Department of Normal and Pathological Anatomy, Kabardino-Balkarian State University Named After H.M. Berbekov, Nalchik, Russia
| | - Petr M Masliukov
- Department of Human Anatomy, Yaroslavl State Medical University, Yaroslavl, Russia.
- Department of Normal Physiology and Biophysics, Yaroslavl State Medical University, Revoliucionnaya 5, Yaroslavl, Russia, 150000.
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2
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Amedzrovi Agbesi RJ, El Merhie A, Spencer NJ, Hibberd T, Chevalier NR. Tetrodotoxin-resistant mechanosensitivity and L-type calcium channel-mediated spontaneous calcium activity in enteric neurons. Exp Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38979869 DOI: 10.1113/ep091977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Gut motility undergoes a switch from myogenic to neurogenic control in late embryonic development. Here, we report on the electrical events that underlie this transition in the enteric nervous system, using the GCaMP6f reporter in neural crest cell derivatives. We found that spontaneous calcium activity is tetrodotoxin (TTX) resistant at stage E11.5, but not at E18.5. Motility at E18.5 was characterized by periodic, alternating high- and low-frequency contractions of the circular smooth muscle; this frequency modulation was inhibited by TTX. Calcium imaging at the neurogenic-motility stages E18.5-P3 showed that CaV1.2-positive neurons exhibited spontaneous calcium activity, which was inhibited by nicardipine and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). Our protocol locally prevented muscle tone relaxation, arguing for a direct effect of nicardipine on enteric neurons, rather than indirectly by its relaxing effect on muscle. We demonstrated that the ENS was mechanosensitive from early stages on (E14.5) and that this behaviour was TTX and 2-APB resistant. We extended our results on L-type channel-dependent spontaneous activity and TTX-resistant mechanosensitivity to the adult colon. Our results shed light on the critical transition from myogenic to neurogenic motility in the developing gut, as well as on the intriguing pathways mediating electro-mechanical sensitivity in the enteric nervous system. HIGHLIGHTS: What is the central question of this study? What are the first neural electric events underlying the transition from myogenic to neurogenic motility in the developing gut, what channels do they depend on, and does the enteric nervous system already exhibit mechanosensitivity? What is the main finding and its importance? ENS calcium activity is sensitive to tetrodotoxin at stage E18.5 but not E11.5. Spontaneous electric activity at fetal and adult stages is crucially dependent on L-type calcium channels and IP3R receptors, and the enteric nervous system exhibits a tetrodotoxin-resistant mechanosensitive response. Abstract figure legend Tetrodotoxin-resistant Ca2+ rise induced by mechanical stimulation in the E18.5 mouse duodenum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amira El Merhie
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes UMR 7057, Université Paris Cité/CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Nick J Spencer
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Tim Hibberd
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nicolas R Chevalier
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes UMR 7057, Université Paris Cité/CNRS, Paris, France
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3
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Gonzales J, Dharshika C, Mazhar K, Morales-Soto W, McClain JL, Moeser AJ, Nault R, Price TJ, Gulbransen BD. Early life adversity promotes gastrointestinal dysfunction through a sex-dependent phenotypic switch in enteric glia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.31.596805. [PMID: 38895433 PMCID: PMC11185517 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.31.596805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome and related disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) are common and exhibit a complex, poorly understood etiology that manifests as abnormal gut motility and pain. Risk factors such as biological sex, stressors during critical periods, and inflammation are thought to influence DGBI vulnerability by reprogramming gut-brain circuits, but the specific cells affected are unclear. Here, we used a model of early life stress to understand cellular mechanisms in the gut that produce DGBIs. Our findings identify enteric glia as a key cellular substrate in which stress and biological sex converge to dictate DGBI susceptibility. Enteric glia exhibit sexual dimorphism in genes and functions related to cellular communication, inflammation, and disease susceptibility. Experiencing early life stress has sex-specific effects on enteric glia that cause a phenotypic switch in male glia toward a phenotype normally observed in females. This phenotypic transformation is followed by physiological changes in the gut, mirroring those observed in DGBI in humans. These effects are mediated, in part, by alterations to glial prostaglandin and endocannabinoid signaling. Together, these data identify enteric glia as a cellular integration site through which DGBI risk factors produce changes in gut physiology and suggest that manipulating glial signaling may represent an attractive target for sex-specific therapeutic strategies in DGBIs.
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Kulkarni S, Saha M, Slosberg J, Singh A, Nagaraj S, Becker L, Zhang C, Bukowski A, Wang Z, Liu G, Leser JM, Kumar M, Bakhshi S, Anderson MJ, Lewandoski M, Vincent E, Goff LA, Pasricha PJ. Age-associated changes in lineage composition of the enteric nervous system regulate gut health and disease. eLife 2023; 12:RP88051. [PMID: 38108810 PMCID: PMC10727506 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS), a collection of neural cells contained in the wall of the gut, is of fundamental importance to gastrointestinal and systemic health. According to the prevailing paradigm, the ENS arises from progenitor cells migrating from the neural crest and remains largely unchanged thereafter. Here, we show that the lineage composition of maturing ENS changes with time, with a decline in the canonical lineage of neural-crest derived neurons and their replacement by a newly identified lineage of mesoderm-derived neurons. Single cell transcriptomics and immunochemical approaches establish a distinct expression profile of mesoderm-derived neurons. The dynamic balance between the proportions of neurons from these two different lineages in the post-natal gut is dependent on the availability of their respective trophic signals, GDNF-RET and HGF-MET. With increasing age, the mesoderm-derived neurons become the dominant form of neurons in the ENS, a change associated with significant functional effects on intestinal motility which can be reversed by GDNF supplementation. Transcriptomic analyses of human gut tissues show reduced GDNF-RET signaling in patients with intestinal dysmotility which is associated with reduction in neural crest-derived neuronal markers and concomitant increase in transcriptional patterns specific to mesoderm-derived neurons. Normal intestinal function in the adult gastrointestinal tract therefore appears to require an optimal balance between these two distinct lineages within the ENS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhash Kulkarni
- Division of Gastroenterology, Dept of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterBostonUnited States
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Monalee Saha
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Jared Slosberg
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Alpana Singh
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Sushma Nagaraj
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Laren Becker
- Division of Gastroenterology, Stanford University – School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Chengxiu Zhang
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Alicia Bukowski
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Zhuolun Wang
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Guosheng Liu
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Jenna M Leser
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Mithra Kumar
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Shriya Bakhshi
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Matthew J Anderson
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer InstituteFrederickUnited States
| | - Mark Lewandoski
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer InstituteFrederickUnited States
| | - Elizabeth Vincent
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Loyal A Goff
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Kavli Neurodiscovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University – School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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Wu Z, Wang Q, Yang F, Wang J, Zhao Y, Perrino BA, Chen J. Functional and Transcriptomic Characterization of Postnatal Maturation of ENS and SIP Syncytium in Mice Colon. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1688. [PMID: 38136560 PMCID: PMC10741935 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The interplay of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and SIP syncytium (smooth muscle cells-interstitial cells of Cajal-PDGFRα+ cells) plays an important role in the regulation of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic regulatory mechanisms of the ENS-SIP system on colon motility during postnatal development. Colonic samples of postnatal 1-week-old (PW1), 3-week-old (PW3), and 5-week-old (PW5) mice were characterized by RNA sequencing, qPCR, Western blotting, isometric force recordings (IFR), and colonic motor complex (CMC) force measurements. Our study showed that the transcriptional expression of Pdgfrα, c-Kit, P2ry1, Nos1, and Slc18a3, and the protein expression of nNOS, c-Kit, and ANO1 significantly increased with age from PW1 to PW5. In PW1 and PW3 mice, colonic migrating movement was not fully developed. In PW5 mice, rhythmic CMCs were recorded, similar to the CMC pattern described previously in adult mice. The inhibition of nNOS revealed excitatory and non-propulsive responses which are normally suppressed due to ongoing nitrergic inhibition. During postnatal development, molecular data demonstrated the establishment and expansion of ICC and PDGFRα+ cells, along with nitrergic and cholinergic nerves and purinergic receptors. Our findings are important for understanding the role of the SIP syncytium in generating and establishing CMCs in postnatal, developing murine colons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiaxuan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yuying Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Brian A. Perrino
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
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Budnik AF, Masliukov PM. Postnatal development of the enteric neurons expressing neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2276-2291. [PMID: 35500072 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neurons, expressing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the enteric ganglia are inhibitory motor neurons or interneurons. The aim of the study was to identify the percentage, cross-sectional area of nNOS-immunoreactive (IR) neurons and their colocalization with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and neuropeptide Y in the intramural ganglia of the myenteric (MP) and submucous plexus (SP) of the small intestine (SI) and large intestine (LI) of rats of different age groups using immunohistochemical methods. In the intramural ganglia of the MP, the largest percentage of nNOS-IR neurons was detected in newborn rats in the LI (81 ± 0.9%) and SI (48 ± 4.1%). Subsequently, it decreased in ontogenesis up to 60 days of life (26 ± 0.9% LI, 29 ± 3.2% SI), and did not change until senescence. In the SP, abundant nNOS-IR neurons were also detected in newborns (82 ± 7.0% SI, 85 ± 3.2% LI), while their percentage decreased significantly in the next 20 days. Furthermore, a very small number of nNOS-IR neurons was detected in 30-day- and 2-month-old animals, but they again appeared in large numbers in aged rats. In the MP, the highest percentage of nNOS+/ChAT+ neurons was in 1-day-old, 10-day-old, and 2-year-old rats. In the SP, the largest number of nNOS-IR neurons colocalized ChAT regardless of age. In the MP of all rats, many nNOS-IR neurons colocalized VIP, and the maximal percentage of nNOS+/VIP+ neurons was found in 2-year-old rats, minimal-in newborns. In conclusion, nNOS expression in neurons of the gut is decreased in early postnatal ontogenesis and subsequently increased in aged rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonina F Budnik
- Department of Normal and Pathological Anatomy, Kabardino-Balkarian State University, Nalchik, Russia
| | - Petr M Masliukov
- Department of Normal Physiology, Yaroslavl State Medical University, Yaroslavl, Russia
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Yuan PQ, Li T, Million M, Larauche M, Atmani K, Bellier JP, Taché Y. New insight on the enteric cholinergic innervation of the pig colon by central and peripheral nervous systems: reduction by repeated loperamide administration. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1204233. [PMID: 37650102 PMCID: PMC10463754 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1204233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The central and peripheral nervous systems provide cholinergic innervation in the colon. The ability to assess their neuroanatomical distinctions is still a challenge. The pig is regarded as a relevant translational model due to the close similarity of its enteric nervous system (ENS) with that of human. Opioid-induced constipation is one of the most common side effects of opioid therapy. Methods We developed an approach to differentiate the central and peripheral cholinergic innervation of the pig colon using double immunolabeling with a novel mouse anti-human peripheral type of choline acetyltransferase (hpChAT) antibody combined with a rabbit anti-common type of ChAT (cChAT) antibody, a reliable marker of cholinergic neurons in the central nervous system. We examined their spatial configurations in 3D images of the ENS generated from CLARITY-cleared colonic segments. The density was quantitated computationally using Imaris 9.7. We assessed changes in the distal colon induced by daily oral treatment for 4 weeks with the μ opioid receptor agonist, loperamide (0.4 or 3 mg/kg). Results The double labeling showed strong cChAT immunoreactive (ir) fibers in the cervical vagus nerve and neuronal somata and fibers in the ventral horn of the sacral (S2) cord while hpChAT immunoreactivity was visualized only in the ENS but not in the vagus or sacral neural structures indicating the selectivity of these two antibodies. In the colonic myenteric plexus, dense hpChAT-ir neurons and fibers and varicose cChAT-ir fibers surrounding hpChAT-ir neurons were simultaneously visualized in 3D. The density of cChAT-ir varicose fibers in the outer submucosal plexus of both males and females were higher in the transverse and distal colon than in the proximal colon and in the myenteric plexus compared to the outer submucosal plexus and there was no cChAT innervation in the inner submucosal plexus. The density of hpChAT in the ENS showed no segmental or plexus differences in both sexes. Loperamide at the highest dose significantly decreased the density hpChAT-ir fibers + somata in the myenteric plexus of the distal colon. Discussion These data showed the distinct density of central cholinergic innervation between myenteric and submucosal plexuses among colonic segments and the localization of cChAT-ir fibers around peripheral hpChAT neurons in 3D. The reduction of cholinergic myenteric innervation by chronic opiate treatment points to target altered prokinetic cholinergic pathway to counteract opiate constipation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu-Qing Yuan
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- VA GLAHS, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Tao Li
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Mulugeta Million
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Muriel Larauche
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Karim Atmani
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jean-Pierre Bellier
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yvette Taché
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- VA GLAHS, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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8
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Inge Schytz Andersen-Civil A, Anjan Sawale R, Claude Vanwalleghem G. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a translational model for neuro-immune interactions in the enteric nervous system in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2023:S0889-1591(23)00142-3. [PMID: 37301234 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect about 1% of the population and are strongly associated with gastrointestinal diseases creating shortcomings in quality of life. Multiple factors contribute to the development of ASD and although neurodevelopmental deficits are central, the pathogenesis of the condition is complex and the high prevalence of intestinal disorders is poorly understood. In agreement with the prominent research establishing clear bidirectional interactions between the gut and the brain, several studies have made it evident that such a relation also exists in ASD. Thus, dysregulation of the gut microbiota and gut barrier integrity may play an important role in ASD. However, only limited research has investigated how the enteric nervous system (ENS) and intestinal mucosal immune factors may impact on the development of ASD-related intestinal disorders. This review focuses on the mechanistic studies that elucidate the regulation and interactions between enteric immune cells, residing gut microbiota and the ENS in models of ASD. Especially the multifaceted properties and applicability of zebrafish (Danio rerio) for the study of ASD pathogenesis are assessed in comparison to studies conducted in rodent models and humans. Advances in molecular techniques and in vivo imaging, combined with genetic manipulation and generation of germ-free animals in a controlled environment, appear to make zebrafish an underestimated model of choice for the study of ASD. Finally, we establish the research gaps that remain to be explored to further our understanding of the complexity of ASD pathogenesis and associated mechanisms that may lead to intestinal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Inge Schytz Andersen-Civil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Rajlakshmi Anjan Sawale
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gilles Claude Vanwalleghem
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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9
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Sharkey KA, Mawe GM. The enteric nervous system. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:1487-1564. [PMID: 36521049 PMCID: PMC9970663 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Of all the organ systems in the body, the gastrointestinal tract is the most complicated in terms of the numbers of structures involved, each with different functions, and the numbers and types of signaling molecules utilized. The digestion of food and absorption of nutrients, electrolytes, and water occurs in a hostile luminal environment that contains a large and diverse microbiota. At the core of regulatory control of the digestive and defensive functions of the gastrointestinal tract is the enteric nervous system (ENS), a complex system of neurons and glia in the gut wall. In this review, we discuss 1) the intrinsic neural control of gut functions involved in digestion and 2) how the ENS interacts with the immune system, gut microbiota, and epithelium to maintain mucosal defense and barrier function. We highlight developments that have revolutionized our understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of enteric neural control. These include a new understanding of the molecular architecture of the ENS, the organization and function of enteric motor circuits, and the roles of enteric glia. We explore the transduction of luminal stimuli by enteroendocrine cells, the regulation of intestinal barrier function by enteric neurons and glia, local immune control by the ENS, and the role of the gut microbiota in regulating the structure and function of the ENS. Multifunctional enteric neurons work together with enteric glial cells, macrophages, interstitial cells, and enteroendocrine cells integrating an array of signals to initiate outputs that are precisely regulated in space and time to control digestion and intestinal homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A Sharkey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gary M Mawe
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
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10
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Nanni W, Porto GDS, Pereira JNB, Gonçalves ARN, Marinsek GP, Stabille SR, Favetta PM, Germano RDM, Mari RDB. Evaluation of myenteric neurons in the colon of rats exposed to 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicide. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART. B, PESTICIDES, FOOD CONTAMINANTS, AND AGRICULTURAL WASTES 2022; 57:421-429. [PMID: 35440284 DOI: 10.1080/03601234.2022.2064674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of the enteric nervous system provides a better understanding of the effects that contaminants can have on the health and well-being of organisms. It has been reported that 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a highly persistent herbicide in the environment that is responsible for neurotoxic changes in different myenteric neuronal subpopulations. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of 2,4-D on myenteric neurons in the colon of Rattus norvegicus for the first time. A dose of 2,4-D (5 mg/kg/day) was administered to the experimental group (2,4-D) for 15 days. Then, the proximal colon was collected and submitted to Giemsa and NADPH-d histochemical techniques for the disclosure of total and nitrergic neurons. The 2,4-D group presented a higher density of total neurons (p = 0.05, t-test), which together with the maintenance of nitrergic neuronal density, may be related to the increase in the expression of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by colocalization, responsible for stimulating the intestinal smooth muscle and increasing the chances of the expulsion of the harmful content present in the lumen. Over 15 days, the neurotoxic effects of 2,4-D in the myenteric plexus influenced an increase in the general population of myenteric neurons in the colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wagner Nanni
- Post-graduate Programme in Animal Science, Universidade Paranaense, Umuarama, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Gisele da Silva Porto
- Laboratory of Animal Virology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Sandra Regina Stabille
- Post-graduate Programme in Animal Science, Universidade Paranaense, Umuarama, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo de Melo Germano
- Post-graduate Programme in Animal Science, Universidade Paranaense, Umuarama, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Renata de Britto Mari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Hirakawa M, Yokoyama T, Yamamoto Y, Saino T. Morphology of P2X3-immunoreactive basket-like afferent nerve endings surrounding serosal ganglia and close relationship with vesicular nucleotide transporter-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the rat gastric antrum. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3866-3881. [PMID: 34297862 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported P2X3 purinoceptor (P2X3)-expressing vagal afferent nerve endings with large web-like structures in the subserosal tissue of the antral lesser curvature, suggesting that these nerve endings were one of the vagal mechanoreceptors. The present study investigated the morphological relationship between P2X3-immunoreactive nerve endings and serosal ganglia in the rat gastric antrum by immunohistochemistry of whole-mount preparations using confocal scanning laser microscopy. P2X3-immunoreactive basket-like subserosal nerve endings with new morphology were distributed laterally to the gastric sling muscles in the distal antrum of the lesser curvature. Parent axons ramified into numerous nerve fibers with pleomorphic flattened structures to form basket-like nerve endings, and the parent axons were originated from large net-like structures of vagal afferent nerve endings. Basket-like nerve endings wrapped around the whole serosal ganglia, which were characterized by neurofilament 200 kDa-immunoreactive neurons with or without neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity and S100B-immunoreactive glial cells. Furthermore, basket-like nerve endings were localized in close apposition to dopamine beta-hydroxylase-immunoreactive sympathetic nerve fibers immunoreactive for vesicular nucleotide transporter. These results suggest that P2X3-immunoreactive basket-like nerve endings associated with serosal ganglia are the specialized ending structures of vagal subserosal mechanoreceptors in order to increase the sensitivity during antral peristalsis, and are activated by ATP from sympathetic nerve fibers and/or serosal ganglia for the regulation of mechanoreceptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Hirakawa
- Department of Anatomy (Cell Biology), Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan
| | - Takuya Yokoyama
- Department of Anatomy (Cell Biology), Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan
| | - Yoshio Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Saino
- Department of Anatomy (Cell Biology), Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan
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12
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Kang YN, Fung C, Vanden Berghe P. Gut innervation and enteric nervous system development: a spatial, temporal and molecular tour de force. Development 2021; 148:148/3/dev182543. [PMID: 33558316 DOI: 10.1242/dev.182543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During embryonic development, the gut is innervated by intrinsic (enteric) and extrinsic nerves. Focusing on mammalian ENS development, in this Review we highlight how important the different compartments of this innervation are to assure proper gut function. We specifically address the three-dimensional architecture of the innervation, paying special attention to the differences in development along the longitudinal and circumferential axes of the gut. We review recent information about the formation of both intrinsic innervation, which is fairly well-known, as well as the establishment of the extrinsic innervation, which, despite its importance in gut-brain signaling, has received much less attention. We further discuss how external microbial and nutritional cues or neuroimmune interactions may influence development of gut innervation. Finally, we provide summary tables, describing the location and function of several well-known molecules, along with some newer factors that have more recently been implicated in the development of gut innervation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ning Kang
- Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience (LENS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Candice Fung
- Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience (LENS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vanden Berghe
- Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience (LENS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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13
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Wright CM, Schneider S, Smith-Edwards KM, Mafra F, Leembruggen AJL, Gonzalez MV, Kothakapa DR, Anderson JB, Maguire BA, Gao T, Missall TA, Howard MJ, Bornstein JC, Davis BM, Heuckeroth RO. scRNA-Seq Reveals New Enteric Nervous System Roles for GDNF, NRTN, and TBX3. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 11:1548-1592.e1. [PMID: 33444816 PMCID: PMC8099699 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Bowel function requires coordinated activity of diverse enteric neuron subtypes. Our aim was to define gene expression in these neuron subtypes to facilitate development of novel therapeutic approaches to treat devastating enteric neuropathies, and to learn more about enteric nervous system function. METHODS To identify subtype-specific genes, we performed single-nucleus RNA-seq on adult mouse and human colon myenteric plexus, and single-cell RNA-seq on E17.5 mouse ENS cells from whole bowel. We used immunohistochemistry, select mutant mice, and calcium imaging to validate and extend results. RESULTS RNA-seq on 635 adult mouse colon myenteric neurons and 707 E17.5 neurons from whole bowel defined seven adult neuron subtypes, eight E17.5 neuron subtypes and hundreds of differentially expressed genes. Manually dissected human colon myenteric plexus yielded RNA-seq data from 48 neurons, 3798 glia, 5568 smooth muscle, 377 interstitial cells of Cajal, and 2153 macrophages. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated differential expression for BNC2, PBX3, SATB1, RBFOX1, TBX2, and TBX3 in enteric neuron subtypes. Conditional Tbx3 loss reduced NOS1-expressing myenteric neurons. Differential Gfra1 and Gfra2 expression coupled with calcium imaging revealed that GDNF and neurturin acutely and differentially regulate activity of ∼50% of myenteric neurons with distinct effects on smooth muscle contractions. CONCLUSION Single cell analyses defined genes differentially expressed in myenteric neuron subtypes and new roles for TBX3, GDNF and NRTN. These data facilitate molecular diagnostic studies and novel therapeutics for bowel motility disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sabine Schneider
- Department of Pediatrics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kristen M Smith-Edwards
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Fernanda Mafra
- Center for Applied Genomics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Michael V Gonzalez
- Center for Applied Genomics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Deepika R Kothakapa
- Department of Pediatrics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jessica B Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Beth A Maguire
- Department of Pediatrics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Tao Gao
- Department of Pediatrics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Tricia A Missall
- Department of Dermatology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Marthe J Howard
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo Health Sciences Campus, Toledo, Ohio
| | - Joel C Bornstein
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brian M Davis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert O Heuckeroth
- Department of Pediatrics, Abramson Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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14
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Mesenteric Neural Crest Cells Are the Embryological Basis of Skip Segment Hirschsprung's Disease. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 12:1-24. [PMID: 33340715 PMCID: PMC8082118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Defective rostrocaudal colonization of the gut by vagal neural crest cells (vNCCs) results in Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), which is characterized by aganglionosis in variable lengths of the distal bowel. Skip segment Hirschsprung's disease (SSHD), referring to a ganglionated segment within an otherwise aganglionic intestine, contradicts HSCR pathogenesis and underscores a significant gap in our understanding of the development of the enteric nervous system. Here, we aimed to identify the embryonic origin of the ganglionic segments in SSHD. METHODS Intestinal biopsy specimens from HSCR patients were prepared via the Swiss-roll technique to search for SSHD cases. NCC migration from the neural tube to the gut was spatiotemporally traced using targeted cell lineages and gene manipulation in mice. RESULTS After invading the mesentery surrounding the foregut, vNCCs separated into 2 populations: mesenteric NCCs (mNCCs) proceeded to migrate along the mesentery, whereas enteric NCCs invaded the foregut to migrate along the gut. mNCCs not only produced neurons and glia within the gut mesentery, but also continuously complemented the enteric NCC pool. Two new cases of SSHD were identified from 183 HSCR patients, and Ednrb-mutant mice, but not Ret-/- mice, showed a high incidence rate of SSHD-like phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS mNCCs, a subset of vNCCs that migrate into the gut via the gut mesentery to give rise to enteric neurons, could provide an embryologic explanation for SSHD. These findings lead to novel insights into the development of the enteric nervous system and the etiology of HSCR.
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15
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Chikkamenahalli LL, Pasricha PJ, Farrugia G, Grover M. Gastric Biopsies in Gastroparesis: Insights into Gastric Neuromuscular Disorders to Aid Treatment. Gastroenterol Clin North Am 2020; 49:557-570. [PMID: 32718570 PMCID: PMC7387746 DOI: 10.1016/j.gtc.2020.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The cellular and molecular understanding of human gastroparesis has markedly improved due to studies on full-thickness gastric biopsies. A decrease in the number of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and functional changes in ICC constitutes the hallmark cellular feature of gastroparesis. More recently, in animal models, macrophages have also been identified to play a central role in development of delayed gastric emptying. Activation of macrophages leads to loss of ICC. In human gastroparesis, loss of anti-inflammatory macrophages in gastric muscle has been shown. Deeper molecular characterization using transcriptomics and proteomics has identified macrophage-based immune dysregulation in human gastroparesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmikanth L. Chikkamenahalli
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo clinic, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Mayo Clinic, 200 1 Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, Tel: +1 507-538-0337
| | - Pankaj J. Pasricha
- Center for Neurogastroenterology, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Ross 958, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, Tel: +1 443-613-8152
| | - Gianrico Farrugia
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Mayo Clinic, 200 1 Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, Tel: +1 507-284-4695
| | - Madhusudan Grover
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Division of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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16
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Mapping of Extrinsic Innervation of the Gastrointestinal Tract in the Mouse Embryo. J Neurosci 2020; 40:6691-6708. [PMID: 32690615 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0309-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise extrinsic afferent (visceral sensory) and efferent (sympathetic and parasympathetic) innervation of the gut is fundamental for gut-brain cross talk. Owing to the limitation of intrinsic markers to distinctively visualize the three classes of extrinsic axons, which intimately associate within the gut mesentery, detailed information on the development of extrinsic gut-innervating axons remains relatively sparse. Here, we mapped extrinsic innervation of the gut and explored the relationships among various types of extrinsic axons during embryonic development in mice. Visualization with characterized intrinsic markers revealed that visceral sensory, sympathetic, and parasympathetic axons arise from different anatomic locations, project in close association via the gut mesentery, and form distinctive innervation patterns within the gut from embryonic day (E)10.5 to E16.5. Genetic ablation of visceral sensory trajectories results in the erratic extension of both sympathetic and parasympathetic axons, implicating that afferent axons provide an axonal scaffold to route efferent axons. Coculture assay further confirmed the attractive effect of sensory axons on sympathetic axons. Taken together, our study provides key information regarding the development of extrinsic gut-innervating axons occurring through heterotypic axonal interactions and provides an anatomic basis to uncover neural circuit assembly in the gut-brain axis (GBA).SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding the development of extrinsic innervation of the gut is essential to unravel the bidirectional neural communication between the brain and the gut. Here, with characterized intrinsic markers targeting vagal sensory, spinal sensory, sympathetic, and parasympathetic axons, respectively, we comprehensively traced the spatiotemporal development of extrinsic axons to the gut during embryonic development in mice. Moreover, in line with the somatic nervous system, pretarget sorting via heterotypic axonal interactions is revealed to play critical roles in patterning extrinsic efferent trajectories to the gut. These findings provide basic anatomic information to explore the mechanisms underlying the process of assembling neural circuitry in the gut-brain axis (GBA).
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17
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Parathan P, Wang Y, Leembruggen AJL, Bornstein JC, Foong JPP. The enteric nervous system undergoes significant chemical and synaptic maturation during adolescence in mice. Dev Biol 2020; 458:75-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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18
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McCann CJ, Alves MM, Brosens E, Natarajan D, Perin S, Chapman C, Hofstra RM, Burns AJ, Thapar N. Neuronal Development and Onset of Electrical Activity in the Human Enteric Nervous System. Gastroenterology 2019; 156:1483-1495.e6. [PMID: 30610864 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The enteric nervous system (ENS) is the largest branch of the peripheral nervous system, comprising complex networks of neurons and glia, which are present throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Although development of a fully functional ENS is required for gastrointestinal motility, little is known about the ontogeny of ENS function in humans. We studied the development of neuronal subtypes and the emergence of evoked electrical activity in the developing human ENS. METHODS Human fetal gut samples (obtained via the MRC-Wellcome Trust Human Developmental Biology Resource-UK) were characterized by immunohistochemistry, calcium imaging, RNA sequencing, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. RESULTS Human fetal colon samples have dense neuronal networks at the level of the myenteric plexus by embryonic week (EW) 12, with expression of excitatory neurotransmitter and synaptic markers. By contrast, markers of inhibitory neurotransmitters were not observed until EW14. Electrical train stimulation of internodal strands did not evoke activity in the ENS of EW12 or EW14 tissues. However, compound calcium activation was observed at EW16, which was blocked by the addition of 1 μmol/L tetrodotoxin. Expression analyses showed that this activity was coincident with increases in expression of genes encoding proteins involved in neurotransmission and action potential generation. CONCLUSIONS In analyses of human fetal intestinal samples, we followed development of neuronal diversity, electrical excitability, and network formation in the ENS. These processes are required to establish the functional enteric circuitry. Further studies could increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of a range of congenital enteric neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor J McCann
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Maria M Alves
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin Brosens
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dipa Natarajan
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Silvia Perin
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Chey Chapman
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Robert M Hofstra
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alan J Burns
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nikhil Thapar
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Prince Abdullah Ben Khalid Celiac Research Chair, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA; Department of Gastroenterology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.
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19
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Cipriani G, Terhaar ML, Eisenman ST, Ji S, Linden DR, Wright AM, Sha L, Ordog T, Szurszewski JH, Gibbons SJ, Farrugia G. Muscularis Propria Macrophages Alter the Proportion of Nitrergic but Not Cholinergic Gastric Myenteric Neurons. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 7:689-691.e4. [PMID: 30711545 PMCID: PMC6477476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Key Words
- bmp2, bone morphogenetic protein 2
- chat+, choline acetyltransferase+
- csf1, colony stimulating factor 1
- huc/d, embryonic lethal, abnormal vision, drosophila-like protein 3/4 antigen
- mpm, muscularis propria macrophage
- na, numerical aperture
- nos, nitric oxide synthase
- wt, wild-type
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sihan Ji
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota,Department of Neuroendocrine Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - David R. Linden
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Alec M. Wright
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Lei Sha
- Department of Neuroendocrine Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Tamas Ordog
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | | | - Simon J. Gibbons
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota,Corresponding authors:
| | - Gianrico Farrugia
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota,Corresponding authors:
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20
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Aubert P, Oleynikova E, Rizvi H, Ndjim M, Le Berre-Scoul C, Grohard PA, Chevalier J, Segain JP, Le Drean G, Neunlist M, Boudin H. Maternal protein restriction induces gastrointestinal dysfunction and enteric nervous system remodeling in rat offspring. FASEB J 2018; 33:770-781. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201800079r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Aubert
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Elena Oleynikova
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Hina Rizvi
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Marième Ndjim
- Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité Mixte de Recherche 1280Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles (PhAN)Institut des Maladies de l'Appareil Digestif Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Catherine Le Berre-Scoul
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Pierre Antoine Grohard
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Julien Chevalier
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Jean-Pierre Segain
- Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité Mixte de Recherche 1280Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles (PhAN)Institut des Maladies de l'Appareil Digestif Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Gwenola Le Drean
- Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité Mixte de Recherche 1280Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles (PhAN)Institut des Maladies de l'Appareil Digestif Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Michel Neunlist
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
| | - Helene Boudin
- The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain DisordersINSERMUniversité de Nantes Nantes France
- Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Grand Ouest Nantes France
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21
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Masliukov PM, Budnik AF, Nozdrachev AD. Neurochemical Features of Metasympathetic System Ganglia in the Course of Ontogenesis. ADVANCES IN GERONTOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s2079057017040087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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22
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Nikaido M, Izumi S, Ohnuki H, Takigawa Y, Yamasu K, Hatta K. Early development of the enteric nervous system visualized by using a new transgenic zebrafish line harboring a regulatory region for choline acetyltransferase a (chata) gene. Gene Expr Patterns 2018; 28:12-21. [PMID: 29413438 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is the largest part of the peripheral nervous system in vertebrates. Toward the visualization of the development of the vertebrate ENS, we report our creation of a new transgenic line, Tg(chata:GGFF2) which has a 1.5-kb upstream region of the zebrafish choline acetyltransferase a (chata) gene followed by modified green fluorescent protein (gfp). During development, GFP + cells were detected in the gut by 60 h post-fertilization (hpf). In the gut of 6- and 12-days post-fertilization (dpf) larvae, an average of 92% of the GFP + cells were positive for the neuronal marker HuC/D, suggesting that GFP marks enteric neurons in this transgenic line. We also observed that 66% of the GFP + cells were choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-immunopositive at 1.5 months. Thus, GFP is expressed at the larval stages at which ChAT protein expression is not yet detected by immunostaining. We studied the spatiotemporal pattern of neural differentiation in the ENS by live-imaging of this transgenic line. We observed that GFP + or gfp + cells initially formed a pair of bilateral rows at 60 hpf or 53 hpf, respectively, in the migrating enteric neural crest cells. Most of the GFP + cells did not migrate, and most of the new GFP + cells were added to fill the space among the previously formed GFP + cells. GFP expression reached the anus by 72 hpf. New GFP + cells then also appeared in the dorsal and ventral sides of the initial GFP + rows, resulting in their distribution on the entire gut by 4 dpf. A small number of new GFP + cells were found to move among older GFP + cells just before the cells stopped migration, suggesting that the moving GFP + cells may represent neural precursor cells searching for a place for the final differentiation. Our data suggest that the Tg(chata:GGFF2) line could serve as a useful tool for studies of enteric neural differentiation and cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Nikaido
- University of Hyogo, Koto 3-2-1, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Saki Izumi
- University of Hyogo, Koto 3-2-1, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Honoka Ohnuki
- Saitama University, Shimo-Okubo 255, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Yuki Takigawa
- University of Hyogo, Koto 3-2-1, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Kyo Yamasu
- Saitama University, Shimo-Okubo 255, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kohei Hatta
- University of Hyogo, Koto 3-2-1, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan.
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23
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Boesmans W, Hao MM, Vanden Berghe P. Optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques for neurogastroenterology. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 15:21-38. [PMID: 29184183 DOI: 10.1038/nrgastro.2017.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics and chemogenetics comprise a wide variety of applications in which genetically encoded actuators and indicators are used to modulate and monitor activity with high cellular specificity. Over the past 10 years, development of these genetically encoded tools has contributed tremendously to our understanding of integrated physiology. In concert with the continued refinement of probes, strategies to target transgene expression to specific cell types have also made much progress in the past 20 years. In addition, the successful implementation of optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques thrives thanks to ongoing advances in live imaging microscopy and optical technology. Although innovation of optogenetic and chemogenetic methods has been primarily driven by researchers studying the central nervous system, these techniques also hold great promise to boost research in neurogastroenterology. In this Review, we describe the different classes of tools that are currently available and give an overview of the strategies to target them to specific cell types in the gut wall. We discuss the possibilities and limitations of optogenetic and chemogenetic technology in the gut and provide an overview of their current use, with a focus on the enteric nervous system. Furthermore, we suggest some experiments that can advance our understanding of how the intrinsic and extrinsic neural networks of the gut control gastrointestinal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werend Boesmans
- Laboratory for Enteric Neuroscience (LENS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, O&N 1 Box 701, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Pathology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debeijelaan 25, 6229 HX, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marlene M Hao
- Laboratory for Enteric Neuroscience (LENS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, O&N 1 Box 701, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Pieter Vanden Berghe
- Laboratory for Enteric Neuroscience (LENS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, O&N 1 Box 701, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Moeser AJ, Pohl CS, Rajput M. Weaning stress and gastrointestinal barrier development: Implications for lifelong gut health in pigs. ANIMAL NUTRITION (ZHONGGUO XU MU SHOU YI XUE HUI) 2017; 3:313-321. [PMID: 29767141 PMCID: PMC5941262 DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The gastrointestinal (GI) barrier serves a critical role in survival and overall health of animals and humans. Several layers of barrier defense mechanisms are provided by the epithelial, immune and enteric nervous systems. Together they act in concert to control normal gut functions (e.g., digestion, absorption, secretion, immunity, etc.) whereas at the same time provide a barrier from the hostile conditions in the luminal environment. Breakdown of these critical GI functions is a central pathophysiological mechanism in the most serious GI disorders in pigs. This review will focus on the development and functional properties of the GI barrier in pigs and how common early life production stressors, such as weaning, can alter immediate and long-term barrier function and disease susceptibility. Specific stress-related pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for driving GI barrier dysfunction induced by weaning and the implications to animal health and performance will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Moeser
- Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Calvin S. Pohl
- Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Mrigendra Rajput
- Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Visualizing the enteric nervous system using genetically engineered double reporter mice: Comparison with immunofluorescence. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0171239. [PMID: 28158225 PMCID: PMC5291392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The enteric nervous system (ENS) plays a crucial role in the control of gastrointestinal motility, secretion and absorption functions. Immunohistochemistry has been widely used to visualize neurons of the ENS for more than two decades. Genetically engineered mice that report specific proteins can also be used to visualize neurons of the ENS. The goal of our study was to develop a mouse that expresses fluorescent neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the two proteins expressed in 95% of the ENS neurons. We compared ENS neurons visualized in the reporter mouse with the wild type mouse stained using classical immunostaining techniques. METHODS Mice hemizygous for ChAT-ChR2-YFP BAC transgene with expression of the mhChR2:YFP fusion protein directed by ChAT promoter/enhancer regions on the BAC transgene were purchased commercially. The Cre/LoxP technique of somatic recombination was used to construct mice with nNOS positive neurons. The two mice were crossbred and tissues were harvested and examined using fluorescent microscopy. Immunostaining was performed in the wild type mice, using antibodies to nNOS, ChAT, Hu and PGP 9.5. RESULTS Greater than 95% of the ENS neurons were positive for either nNOS or ChAT or both. The nNOS and ChAT neurons and their processes in the ENS were well visualized in all the regions of the GI tract, i.e., esophagus, small intestine and colon. The number of nNOS and ChAT neurons was approximately same in the reporter mouse and immunostaining method in the wild type mouse. The nNOS fluorescence in the reporter mouse was seen in both cytoplasm as well as nucleus but in the immunostained specimens it was seen only in the cytoplasm. CONCLUSION We propose that the genetically engineered double reporter mouse for ChAT and nNOS proteins is a powerful tool to study of the effects of various diseases on the ENS without the need for immunostaining.
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Medland JE, Pohl CS, Edwards LL, Frandsen S, Bagley K, Li Y, Moeser AJ. Early life adversity in piglets induces long-term upregulation of the enteric cholinergic nervous system and heightened, sex-specific secretomotor neuron responses. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2016; 28:1317-29. [PMID: 27134125 PMCID: PMC5002263 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life adversity (ELA) is a risk factor for the later-life onset of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); however, the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we utilized a porcine model of ELA, early weaning stress (EWS), to investigate the influence of ELA on the development and function of the enteric nervous system (ENS). METHODS Female and castrated male (Male-C) piglets were weaned from their sow either at 15 days of age (EWS) or 28 days of age (late weaning control, LWC). At 60 and 170 days of age, ileal mucosa-submucosa preparations were mounted in Ussing chambers and veratridine- and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-releasing factor-evoked short circuit current (Isc ) responses were recorded as indices of secretomotor neuron function. Enteric neuron numbers and the expression of select neurotransmitters and their receptors were also measured. KEY RESULTS Compared with LWC pigs, female, but not Male-C EWS, pigs exhibited heightened veratridine-induced Isc responses at 60 and 170 days of age that were inhibited with tetrodotoxin and atropine. Ileum from EWS pigs had higher numbers of enteric neurons that were choline acetyltransferase positive. Markers of increased cholinergic signaling (increased acetylcholinesterase) and downregulated mucosal muscarinic receptor 3 gene expression were also observed in EWS pigs. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES This study demonstrated that EWS in pigs induces lasting and sex-specific hypersensitivity of secretomotor neuron function and upregulation of the cholinergic ENS. These findings may represent a mechanistic link between ELA and lifelong susceptibility to GI diseases such as IBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E. Medland
- Comparative Biomedical Sciences Program, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Calvin S. Pohl
- Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Laura L. Edwards
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Shellsea Frandsen
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Kristen Bagley
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Yihang Li
- Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Adam J. Moeser
- Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA,Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University
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Enteric nervous system assembly: Functional integration within the developing gut. Dev Biol 2016; 417:168-81. [PMID: 27235816 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Co-ordinated gastrointestinal function is the result of integrated communication between the enteric nervous system (ENS) and "effector" cells in the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike smooth muscle cells, interstitial cells, and the vast majority of cell types residing in the mucosa, enteric neurons and glia are not generated within the gut. Instead, they arise from neural crest cells that migrate into and colonise the developing gastrointestinal tract. Although they are "later" arrivals into the developing gut, enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) respond to many of the same secreted signalling molecules as the "resident" epithelial and mesenchymal cells, and several factors that control the development of smooth muscle cells, interstitial cells and epithelial cells also regulate ENCCs. Much progress has been made towards understanding the migration of ENCCs along the gastrointestinal tract and their differentiation into neurons and glia. However, our understanding of how enteric neurons begin to communicate with each other and extend their neurites out of the developing plexus layers to innervate the various cell types lining the concentric layers of the gastrointestinal tract is only beginning. It is critical for postpartum survival that the gastrointestinal tract and its enteric circuitry are sufficiently mature to cope with the influx of nutrients and their absorption that occurs shortly after birth. Subsequently, colonisation of the gut by immune cells and microbiota during postnatal development has an important impact that determines the ultimate outline of the intrinsic neural networks of the gut. In this review, we describe the integrated development of the ENS and its target cells.
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Zhou J, Wang C, Zhang K, Wang Y, Gong X, Wang Y, Li S, Luo Y. Generation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line Expressing zsGreen in Cholinergic Neurons Using CRISPR/Cas9 System. Neurochem Res 2016; 41:2065-74. [PMID: 27113041 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-016-1918-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Lineage specific human embryonic stem cell (hESC) reporter cell line is a versatile tool for biological studies on real time monitoring of differentiation, physiological and biochemical features of special cell types and pathological mechanism of disease. Here we report the generation of ChAT-zsGreen reporter hESC line that express zsGreen under the control of the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) promoter using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas9 system. We show that the ChAT-zsGreen hESC reporter cell lines retain the features of undifferentiated hESC. After cholinergic neuronal differentiation, cholinergic neurons were clearly labeled with green fluorescence protein (zsGreen). The ChAT-zsGreen reporter hESC lines are invaluable not only for the monitoring cholinergic neuronal differentiation but also for study physiological and biochemical hallmarks of cholinergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chencheng Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Kunshan Zhang
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China
| | - Xi Gong
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Yanlu Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Siguang Li
- Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China.
| | - Yuping Luo
- College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China. .,Stem Cell Translational Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200065, China.
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Foong JPP. Postnatal Development of the Mouse Enteric Nervous System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 891:135-43. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-27592-5_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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30
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Pohl CS, Medland JE, Moeser AJ. Early-life stress origins of gastrointestinal disease: animal models, intestinal pathophysiology, and translational implications. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2015; 309:G927-41. [PMID: 26451004 PMCID: PMC4683303 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00206.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Early-life stress and adversity are major risk factors in the onset and severity of gastrointestinal (GI) disease in humans later in life. The mechanisms by which early-life stress leads to increased GI disease susceptibility in adult life remain poorly understood. Animal models of early-life stress have provided a foundation from which to gain a more fundamental understanding of this important GI disease paradigm. This review focuses on animal models of early-life stress-induced GI disease, with a specific emphasis on translational aspects of each model to specific human GI disease states. Early postnatal development of major GI systems and the consequences of stress on their development are discussed in detail. Relevant translational differences between species and models are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin S. Pohl
- 1Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; ,2Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; and
| | - Julia E. Medland
- 3Comparative Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Adam J. Moeser
- 1Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; ,2Gastrointestinal Stress Biology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; and
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Gábriel R, Erdélyi F, Szabó G, Lawrence JJ, Wilhelm M. Ectopic transgene expression in the retina of four transgenic mouse lines. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3729-41. [PMID: 26563404 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1128-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Retinal expression of transgenes was examined in four mouse lines. Two constructs were driven by the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) promoter: green fluorescent protein conjugated to tau protein (tau-GFP) or cytosolic yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) generated through CRE recombinase-induced expression of Rosa26 (ChAT-CRE/Rosa26YFP). Two other constructs targeted inhibitory interneurons: GABAergic horizontal and amacrine cells identified by glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65-GFP) or parvalbumin (PV) cells (PV-CRE/Rosa26YFP). Animals were transcardially perfused and retinal sections prepared. Antibodies against PV, calretinin (CALR), calbindin (CALB), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were used to counterstain transgene-expressing cells. In PVxRosa and ChAT-tauGFP constructs, staining appeared in vertically oriented row of processes resembling Müller cells. In the ChATxRosa construct, populations of amacrine cells and neurons in the ganglion cell layer were labeled. Some cones also exhibited GFP fluorescence. CALR, PV and TH were found in none of these cells. Occasionally, we found GFP/CALR and GFP/PV double-stained cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL). In the GAD65-GFP construct, all layers of the neuroretina were labeled, except photoreceptors. Not all horizontal cells expressed GFP. We did not find GFP/TH double-labeled cells and GFP was rarely present in CALR- and CALB-containing cells. Many PV-positive neurons were also labeled for GFP, including small diameter amacrines. In the GCL, single labeling for GFP and PV was ascertained, as well as several CALR/PV double-stained neurons. In the GCL, cells triple labeled with GFP/CALR/CALB were sparse. In conclusion, only one of the four transgenic constructs exhibited an expression pattern consistent with endogenous retinal protein expression, while the others strongly suggested ectopic gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gábriel
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Erdélyi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Szabó
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450, Budapest, Hungary
| | - J Josh Lawrence
- Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Márta Wilhelm
- Institute of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Pécs, Ifjúság u. 6., 7624, Pécs, Hungary.
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Hennig GW, Gould TW, Koh SD, Corrigan RD, Heredia DJ, Shonnard MC, Smith TK. Use of Genetically Encoded Calcium Indicators (GECIs) Combined with Advanced Motion Tracking Techniques to Examine the Behavior of Neurons and Glia in the Enteric Nervous System of the Intact Murine Colon. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:436. [PMID: 26617487 PMCID: PMC4639702 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs) have been used extensively in many body systems to detect Ca2+ transients associated with neuronal activity. Their adoption in enteric neurobiology has been slower, although they offer many advantages in terms of selectivity, signal-to-noise and non-invasiveness. Our aims were to utilize a number of cell-specific promoters to express the Ca2+ indicator GCaMP3 in different classes of neurons and glia to determine their effectiveness in measuring activity in enteric neural networks during colonic motor behaviors. We bred several GCaMP3 mice: (1) Wnt1-GCaMP3, all enteric neurons and glia; (2) GFAP-GCaMP3, enteric glia; (3) nNOS-GaMP3, enteric nitrergic neurons; and (4) ChAT-GCaMP3, enteric cholinergic neurons. These mice allowed us to study the behavior of the enteric neurons in the intact colon maintained at a physiological temperature, especially during the colonic migrating motor complex (CMMC), using low power Ca2+ imaging. In this preliminary study, we observed neuronal and glial cell Ca2+ transients in specific cells in both the myenteric and submucous plexus in all of the transgenic mice variants. The number of cells that could be simultaneously imaged at low power (100–1000 active cells) through the undissected gut required advanced motion tracking and analysis routines. The pattern of Ca2+ transients in myenteric neurons showed significant differences in response to spontaneous, oral or anal stimulation. Brief anal elongation or mucosal stimulation, which evokes a CMMC, were the most effective stimuli and elicited a powerful synchronized and prolonged burst of Ca2+ transients in many myenteric neurons, especially when compared with the same neurons during a spontaneous CMMC. In contrast, oral elongation, which normally inhibits CMMCs, appeared to suppress Ca2+ transients in some of the neurons active during a spontaneous or an anally evoked CMMC. The activity in glial networks appeared to follow neural activity but continued long after neural activity had waned. With these new tools an unprecedented level of detail can be recorded from the enteric nervous system (ENS) with minimal manipulation of tissue. These techniques can be extended in order to better understand the roles of particular enteric neurons and glia during normal and disordered motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant W Hennig
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Reno, NV, USA
| | - Thomas W Gould
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Reno, NV, USA
| | - Sang Don Koh
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Reno, NV, USA
| | - Robert D Corrigan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Reno, NV, USA
| | - Dante J Heredia
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Reno, NV, USA
| | - Matthew C Shonnard
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Reno, NV, USA
| | - Terence K Smith
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Reno, NV, USA
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Elson AE, Simerly RB. Developmental specification of metabolic circuitry. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 39:38-51. [PMID: 26407637 PMCID: PMC4681622 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamus contains a core circuitry that communicates with the brainstem and spinal cord to regulate energy balance. Because metabolic phenotype is influenced by environmental variables during perinatal development, it is important to understand how these neural pathways form in order to identify key signaling pathways that are responsible for metabolic programming. Recent progress in defining gene expression events that direct early patterning and cellular specification of the hypothalamus, as well as advances in our understanding of hormonal control of central neuroendocrine pathways, suggest several key regulatory nodes that may represent targets for metabolic programming of brain structure and function. This review focuses on components of central circuitry known to regulate various aspects of energy balance and summarizes what is known about their developmental neurobiology within the context of metabolic programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Elson
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Richard B Simerly
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
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Abstract
Acetylcholine-activating pentameric nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) are an essential mode of neurotransmission in the enteric nervous system (ENS). In this study, we examined the functional development of specific nAChR subtypes in myenteric neurons using Wnt1-Cre;R26R-GCaMP3 mice, where all enteric neurons and glia express the genetically encoded calcium indicator, GCaMP3. Transcripts encoding α3, α4, α7, β2, and β4 nAChR subunits were already expressed at low levels in the E11.5 gut and by E14.5 and, thereafter, α3 and β4 transcripts were the most abundant. The effect of specific nAChR subtype antagonists on evoked calcium activity in enteric neurons was investigated at different ages. Blockade of the α3β4 receptors reduced electrically and chemically evoked calcium responses at E12.5, E14.5, and P0. In addition to the α3β4 antagonist, antagonists to α3β2 and α4β2 also significantly reduced responses by P10-11 and in adult preparations. Therefore, there is an increase in the diversity of functional nAChRs during postnatal development. However, an α7 nAChR antagonist had no effect at any age. Furthermore, at E12.5 we found evidence for unconventional receptors that were responsive to the nAChR agonists 1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium and nicotine, but were insensitive to the general nicotinic blocker, hexamethonium. Migration, differentiation, and neuritogenesis assays did not reveal a role for nAChRs in these processes during embryonic development. In conclusion, there are significant changes in the contribution of different nAChR subunits to synaptic transmission during ENS development, even after birth. This is the first study to investigate the development of cholinergic transmission in the ENS.
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35
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Wilhelm M, Lawrence JJ, Gábriel R. Enteric plexuses of two choline-acetyltransferase transgenic mouse lines: chemical neuroanatomy of the fluorescent protein-expressing nerve cells. Brain Res Bull 2015; 111:76-83. [PMID: 25592616 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We studied cholinergic circuit elements in the enteric nervous system (ENS) of two distinct transgenic mouse lines in which fluorescent protein expression was driven by the choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) promoter. In the first mouse line, green fluorescent protein was fused to the tau gene. This construct allowed the visualization of the fiber tracts and ganglia, however the nerve cells were poorly resolved. In the second mouse line (ChATcre-YFP), CRE/loxP recombination yielded cytosolic expression of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). In these preparations the morphology of enteric neurons could be well studied. We also determined the neurochemical identity of ENS neurons in muscular and submucous layers using antibodies against YFP, calretinin (CALR), calbindin (CALB), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Confocal microscopic imaging was used to visualize fluorescently-conjugated secondary antibodies. In ChATcre-YFP preparations, YFP was readily apparent in somatodendritic regions of ENS neurons. In the myenteric plexus, YFP/CALR/VIP staining revealed that 34% of cholinergic cells co-labeled with CALR. Few single-stained CR-positive cells were observed. Neither YFP nor CALR co-localized with VIP. In GFP/CALB/CALR staining, all co-localization combinations were represented. In the submucosal plexus, YFP/CALR/VIP staining revealed discrete neuronal populations. However, in separate preparations, double labeling was observed for YFP/CALR and CALR/VIP. In YFP/CALR/CALB staining, all combinations of double staining and triple labeling were verified. In conclusion, the neurochemical coding of ENS neurons in these mouse lines is consistent with many observations in non-transgenic animals. Thus, they provide useful tools for physiological and pharmacological studies on distinct neurochemical subtypes of ENS neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márta Wilhelm
- Institute of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - J Josh Lawrence
- COBRE Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Robert Gábriel
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
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Robinson AM, Sakkal S, Park A, Jovanovska V, Payne N, Carbone SE, Miller S, Bornstein JC, Bernard C, Boyd R, Nurgali K. Mesenchymal stem cells and conditioned medium avert enteric neuropathy and colon dysfunction in guinea pig TNBS-induced colitis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2014; 307:G1115-29. [PMID: 25301186 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00174.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Damage to the enteric nervous system (ENS) associated with intestinal inflammation may underlie persistent alterations to gut functions, suggesting that enteric neurons are viable targets for novel therapies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer therapeutic benefits for attenuation of neurodegenerative diseases by homing to areas of inflammation and exhibiting neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. In culture, MSCs release soluble bioactive factors promoting neuronal survival and suppressing inflammation suggesting that MSC-conditioned medium (CM) provides essential factors to repair damaged tissues. We investigated whether MSC and CM treatments administered by enema attenuate 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced enteric neuropathy and motility dysfunction in the guinea pig colon. Guinea pigs were randomly assigned to experimental groups and received a single application of TNBS (30 mg/kg) followed by 1 × 10(6) human bone marrow-derived MSCs, 300 μl CM, or 300 μl unconditioned medium 3 h later. After 7 days, the effect of these treatments on enteric neurons was assessed by histological, immunohistochemical, and motility analyses. MSC and CM treatments prevented inflammation-associated weight loss and gross morphological damage in the colon; decreased the quantity of immune infiltrate in the colonic wall (P < 0.01) and at the level of the myenteric ganglia (P < 0.001); prevented loss of myenteric neurons (P < 0.05) and damage to nerve processes, changes in ChAT, and nNOS immunoreactivity (P < 0.05); and alleviated inflammation-induced colonic dysmotility (contraction speed; P < 0.001, contractions/min; P < 0.05). These results provide strong evidence that both MSC and CM treatments can effectively prevent damage to the ENS and alleviate gut dysfunction caused by TNBS-induced colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainsley M Robinson
- College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Samy Sakkal
- College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Anthony Park
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Natalie Payne
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and
| | - Simona E Carbone
- College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Miller
- College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joel C Bornstein
- Department of Physiology, Melbourne University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Claude Bernard
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and
| | - Richard Boyd
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kulmira Nurgali
- College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia;
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Bergner AJ, Stamp LA, Gonsalvez DG, Allison MB, Olson DP, Myers MG, Anderson CR, Young HM. Birthdating of myenteric neuron subtypes in the small intestine of the mouse. J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:514-27. [PMID: 23861145 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Revised: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There are many different types of enteric neurons. Previous studies have identified the time at which some enteric neuron subtypes are born (exit the cell cycle) in the mouse, but the birthdates of some major enteric neuron subtypes are still incompletely characterized or unknown. We combined 5-ethynynl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) labeling with antibody markers that identify myenteric neuron subtypes to determine when neuron subtypes are born in the mouse small intestine. We found that different neurochemical classes of enteric neuron differed in their birthdates; serotonin neurons were born first with peak cell cycle exit at E11.5, followed by neurofilament-M neurons, calcitonin gene-related peptide neurons (peak cell cycle exit for both at embryonic day [E]12.5-E13.5), tyrosine hydroxylase neurons (E15.5), nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) neurons (E15.5), and calretinin neurons (postnatal day [P]0). The vast majority of myenteric neurons had exited the cell cycle by P10. We did not observe any EdU+/NOS1+ myenteric neurons in the small intestine of adult mice following EdU injection at E10.5 or E11.5, which was unexpected, as previous studies have shown that NOS1 neurons are present in E11.5 mice. Studies using the proliferation marker Ki67 revealed that very few NOS1 neurons in the E11.5 and E12.5 gut were proliferating. However, Cre-lox-based genetic fate-mapping revealed a small subpopulation of myenteric neurons that appears to express NOS1 only transiently. Together, our results confirm a relationship between enteric neuron subtype and birthdate, and suggest that some enteric neurons exhibit neurochemical phenotypes during development that are different from their mature phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette J Bergner
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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38
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Hundahl CA, Fahrenkrug J, Hannibal J. Neurochemical phenotype of cytoglobin-expressing neurons in the rat hippocampus. Biomed Rep 2014; 2:620-627. [PMID: 25054000 DOI: 10.3892/br.2014.299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytoglobin (Cygb), a novel oxygen-binding protein, is expressed in the majority of tissues and has been proposed to function in nitric oxide (NO) metabolism in the vasculature and to have cytoprotective properties. However, the overall functions of Cygb remain elusive. Cygb is also expressed in a subpopulation of brain neurons. Recently, it has been shown that stress upregulates Cygb expression in the brain and the majority of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-positive neurons, an enzyme that produces NO, co-express Cygb. However, there are more neurons expressing Cygb than nNOS, thus a large number of Cygb neurons remain uncharacterized by the neurochemical content. The aim of the present study was to provide an additional and more detailed neurochemical phenotype of Cygb-expressing neurons in the rat hippocampus. The rat hippocampus was chosen due to the abundance of Cygb, as well as this limbic structure being an important target in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Using triple immunohistochemistry, it was demonstrated that nearly all the parvalbumin- and heme oxygenase 1-positive neurons co-express Cygb and to a large extent, these neuron populations are distinct from the population of Cygb neurons co-expressing nNOS. Furthermore, it was shown that the majority of neurons expressing somastostatin and vasoactive intestinal peptide also co-express Cygb and nNOS. Detailed information regarding the neurochemical phenotype of Cygb neurons in the hippocampus can be a valuable tool in determining the function of Cygb in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ansgar Hundahl
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Bio- and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia, Denmark ; Centre for Excellence in Translation Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia, Denmark
| | - Jan Fahrenkrug
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2400, Denmark
| | - Jens Hannibal
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2400, Denmark
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Erickson CS, Lee SJ, Barlow-Anacker AJ, Druckenbrod NR, Epstein ML, Gosain A. Appearance of cholinergic myenteric neurons during enteric nervous system development: comparison of different ChAT fluorescent mouse reporter lines. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2014; 26:874-84. [PMID: 24712519 PMCID: PMC4037379 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cholinergic neurons have been identified with the acetylcholine synthetic enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). However, ChAT is difficult to localize in newly differentiated peripheral neurons making the study of cholinergic neuronal development problematic. Consequently, researchers have used mouse reporter lines to indicate the presence of ChAT. METHODS Our objective was to determine which ChAT reporter line was the most sensitive indicator of ChAT expression. We utilized two different fluorescent ChAT reporter lines (ChAT-GFP and ChAT-Cre;R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato) together with immunolocalization of ChAT protein (ChAT-IR) to characterize the spatial and temporal expression of ChAT in myenteric neurons throughout enteric nervous system (ENS) development. KEY RESULTS ChAT-IR cells were first seen in the intestine at E10.5, even within the migration wavefront of neural precursors. Myenteric neurons within the distal small intestine (dSI) and proximal colon were first labeled by ChAT-IR, then ChAT-GFP, and finally ChAT-Cre tdTomato. The percentage of ChAT-IR neurons is equivalent to adult levels in the dSI by E13.5 and proximal colon by P0. After these stages, the percentages remained relatively constant throughout development despite dramatic changes in neuronal density. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES These observations indicate that neurotransmitter expression occurs early and there is only a brief gap between neurogenesis and neurotransmitter expression. Our finding that the proportion of ChAT myenteric neurons reached adult levels during embryonic development suggests that the fate of cholinergic neurons is tightly regulated and that their differentiation might influence further neuronal development. ChAT-GFP is a more accurate indicator of early ENS cholinergic neuronal differentiation than the ChAT-Cre;R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato reporter mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S. Erickson
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Scott J. Lee
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Amanda J. Barlow-Anacker
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Noah R. Druckenbrod
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Miles L. Epstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Ankush Gosain
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America,Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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Zhang Y, Bitner D, Pontes Filho AA, Li F, Liu S, Wang H, Yang F, Adhikari S, Gordon J, Srinivasan S, Hu W. Expression and function of NIK- and IKK2-binding protein (NIBP) in mouse enteric nervous system. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2014; 26:77-97. [PMID: 24011459 PMCID: PMC3962790 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND NIK- and IKK2-binding protein (NIBP)/TRAPPC9 is expressed in brain neurons, and human NIBP mutations are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. The cellular distribution and function of NIBP in the enteric nervous system (ENS) remain unknown. METHODS Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis were used respectively to identify the protein and mRNA expression of NIBP and other neuronal markers. Multi-labeled immunofluorescent microscopy and confocal image analysis were used to examine the cellular distribution of NIBP-like immunoreactivity (IR) in whole mount intestine. Enteric neuronal cell line (ENC) was infected with lentivirus carrying NIBP or its shRNA expression vectors and treated with vehicle or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α. KEY RESULTS NIBP is expressed at both mRNA and protein levels in different regions and layers of the mouse intestine. NIBP-like-IR was co-localized with various neuronal markers, but not with glial, smooth muscular, or interstitial cells of Cajal markers. A small population of NIBP-expressing cells and fibers in extra-ganglionic and intra-ganglionic area were negative for pan-neuronal markers HuD or Peripherin. Relatively high NIBP-like-IR was found in 35-44% of myenteric neurons and 9-10% of submucosal neurons. Approximately 98%, 87%, and 43% of these relatively high NIBP-expressing neurons were positive for choline acetyltransferase, neuronal nitric oxide synthase and Calretinin, respectively. NIBP shRNA knockdown in ENC inhibited TNFα-induced NFκB activation and neuronal differentiation, whereas NIBP overexpression promoted it. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES NIBP is extensively expressed in the ENS with relatively high level in a subpopulation of enteric neurons. Various NIBP expression levels in different neurons may represent dynamic trafficking or posttranslational modification of NIBP in some functionally active neurons and ultimately regulate ENS plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggang Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Daniel Bitner
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Adalto Alfredo Pontes Filho
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Shu Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Sam Adhikari
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Jennifer Gordon
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Shanthi Srinivasan
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Emory University, 615 Michael St., Atlanta, GA 30322 and Atlanta VAMC, Decatur, GA, 30331
| | - Wenhui Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
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Foong JPP, Tough IR, Cox HM, Bornstein JC. Properties of cholinergic and non-cholinergic submucosal neurons along the mouse colon. J Physiol 2013; 592:777-93. [PMID: 24344165 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.265686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Submucosal neurons are vital regulators of water and electrolyte secretion and local blood flow in the gut. Due to the availability of transgenic models for enteric neuropathies, the mouse has emerged as the research model of choice, but much is still unknown about the murine submucosal plexus. The progeny of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-Cre × ROSA26(YFP) reporter mice, ChAT-Cre;R26R-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) mice, express YFP in every neuron that has ever expressed ChAT. With the aid of the robust YFP staining in these mice, we correlated the neurochemistry, morphology and electrophysiology of submucosal neurons in distal colon. We also examined whether there are differences in neurochemistry along the colon and in neurally mediated vectorial ion transport between the proximal and distal colon. All YFP(+) submucosal neurons also contained ChAT. Two main neurochemical but not electrophysiological groups of neurons were identified: cholinergic (containing ChAT) or non-cholinergic. The vast majority of neurons in the middle and distal colon were non-cholinergic but contained vasoactive intestinal peptide. In the distal colon, non-cholinergic neurons had one or two axons, whereas the cholinergic neurons examined had only one axon. All submucosal neurons exhibited S-type electrophysiology, shown by the lack of long after-hyperpolarizing potentials following their action potentials and fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). Fast EPSPs were predominantly nicotinic, and somatic action potentials were mediated by tetrodotoxin-resistant voltage-gated channels. The size of submucosal ganglia decreased but the proportion of cholinergic neurons increased distally along the colon. The distal colon had a significantly larger nicotinic ion transport response than the proximal colon. This work shows that the properties of murine submucosal neurons and their control of epithelial ion transport differ between colonic regions. There are several key differences between the murine submucous plexus and that of other animals, including a lack of conventional intrinsic sensory neurons, which suggests there is an incomplete neuronal circuitry within the murine submucous plexus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Pei Pei Foong
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
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