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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: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [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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Ritter KE, Buehler DP, Asher SB, Deal KK, Zhao S, Guo Y, Southard-Smith EM. 5-HT3 Signaling Alters Development of Sacral Neural Crest Derivatives That Innervate the Lower Urinary Tract. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136838. [PMID: 34202161 PMCID: PMC8269166 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The autonomic nervous system derives from the neural crest (NC) and supplies motor innervation to the smooth muscle of visceral organs, including the lower urinary tract (LUT). During fetal development, sacral NC cells colonize the urogenital sinus to form pelvic ganglia (PG) flanking the bladder neck. The coordinated activity of PG neurons is required for normal urination; however, little is known about the development of PG neuronal diversity. To discover candidate genes involved in PG neurogenesis, the transcriptome profiling of sacral NC and developing PG was performed, and we identified the enrichment of the type 3 serotonin receptor (5-HT3, encoded by Htr3a and Htr3b). We determined that Htr3a is one of the first serotonin receptor genes that is up-regulated in sacral NC progenitors and is maintained in differentiating PG neurons. In vitro cultures showed that the disruption of 5-HT3 signaling alters the differentiation outcomes of sacral NC cells, while the stimulation of 5-HT3 in explanted fetal pelvic ganglia severely diminished neurite arbor outgrowth. Overall, this study provides a valuable resource for the analysis of signaling pathways in PG development, identifies 5-HT3 as a novel regulator of NC lineage diversification and neuronal maturation in the peripheral nervous system, and indicates that the perturbation of 5-HT3 signaling in gestation has the potential to alter bladder function later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Elaine Ritter
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Dennis P. Buehler
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Stephanie B. Asher
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Karen K. Deal
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Shilin Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.Z.); (Y.G.)
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.Z.); (Y.G.)
| | - E Michelle Southard-Smith
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
- Correspondence:
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Graham KD, López SH, Sengupta R, Shenoy A, Schneider S, Wright CM, Feldman M, Furth E, Valdivieso F, Lemke A, Wilkins BJ, Naji A, Doolin E, Howard MJ, Heuckeroth RO. Robust, 3-Dimensional Visualization of Human Colon Enteric Nervous System Without Tissue Sectioning. Gastroenterology 2020; 158:2221-2235.e5. [PMID: 32113825 PMCID: PMC7392351 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.02.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Small, 2-dimensional sections routinely used for human pathology analysis provide limited information about bowel innervation. We developed a technique to image human enteric nervous system (ENS) and other intramural cells in 3 dimensions. METHODS Using mouse and human colon tissues, we developed a method that combines tissue clearing, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and quantitative analysis of full-thickness bowel without sectioning to quantify ENS and other intramural cells in 3 dimensions. RESULTS We provided 280 adult human colon confocal Z-stacks from persons without known bowel motility disorders. Most of our images were of myenteric ganglia, captured using a 20× objective lens. Full-thickness colon images, viewed with a 10× objective lens, were as large as 4 × 5 mm2. Colon from 2 pediatric patients with Hirschsprung disease was used to show distal colon without enteric ganglia, as well as a transition zone and proximal pull-through resection margin where ENS was present. After testing a panel of antibodies with our method, we identified 16 antibodies that bind to molecules in neurons, glia, interstitial cells of Cajal, and muscularis macrophages. Quantitative analyses demonstrated myenteric plexus in 24.5% ± 2.4% of flattened colon Z-stack area. Myenteric ganglia occupied 34% ± 4% of myenteric plexus. Single myenteric ganglion volume averaged 3,527,678 ± 573,832 mm3 with 38,706 ± 5763 neuron/mm3 and 129,321 ± 25,356 glia/mm3. Images of large areas provided insight into why published values of ENS density vary up to 150-fold-ENS density varies greatly, across millimeters, so analyses of small numbers of thin sections from the same bowel region can produce varying results. Neuron subtype analysis revealed that approximately 56% of myenteric neurons stained with neuronal nitric oxide synthase antibody and approximately 33% of neurons produce and store acetylcholine. Transition zone regions from colon tissues of patients with Hirschsprung disease had ganglia in multiple layers and thick nerve fiber bundles without neurons. Submucosal neuron distribution varied among imaged colon regions. CONCLUSIONS We developed a 3-dimensional imaging method for colon that provides more information about ENS structure than tissue sectioning. This approach could improve diagnosis for human bowel motility disorders and may be useful for other bowel diseases as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kahleb D. Graham
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Abramson Research Center – Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318,Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Department of Pediatrics at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Silvia Huerta López
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Abramson Research Center – Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318
| | - Rajarshi Sengupta
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Abramson Research Center – Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318,American Association for Cancer Research, 615 Chestnut Street, 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106-4404
| | - Archana Shenoy
- Department of Pathology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318
| | - Sabine Schneider
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Abramson Research Center – Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-4318
| | - Christina M. Wright
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Abramson Research Center – Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-4318
| | - Michael Feldman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4238
| | - Emma Furth
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4238
| | - Federico Valdivieso
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4238
| | - Amanda Lemke
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Abramson Research Center – Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318
| | - Benjamin J. Wilkins
- Department of Pathology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318
| | - Ali Naji
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318
| | - Edward Doolin
- Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. 19104-4318
| | - Marthe J. Howard
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Mail Stop # 1007, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, U.S.A, 43614-2598
| | - Robert O. Heuckeroth
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Abramson Research Center – Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., 19104-4318,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-4318
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Hirst CS, Stamp LA, Bergner AJ, Hao MM, Tran MX, Morgan JM, Dutschmann M, Allen AM, Paxinos G, Furlong TM, McKeown SJ, Young HM. Kif1bp loss in mice leads to defects in the peripheral and central nervous system and perinatal death. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16676. [PMID: 29192291 PMCID: PMC5709403 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16965-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome is a poorly understood condition characterized by learning difficulties, facial dysmorphism, microcephaly, and Hirschsprung disease. GOSHS is due to recessive mutations in KIAA1279, which encodes kinesin family member 1 binding protein (KIF1BP, also known as KBP). We examined the effects of inactivation of Kif1bp in mice. Mice lacking Kif1bp died shortly after birth, and exhibited smaller brains, olfactory bulbs and anterior commissures, and defects in the vagal and sympathetic innervation of the gut. Kif1bp was found to interact with Ret to regulate the development of the vagal innervation of the stomach. Although newborn Kif1bp−/− mice had neurons along the entire bowel, the colonization of the gut by neural crest-derived cells was delayed. The data show an essential in vivo role for KIF1BP in axon extension from some neurons, and the reduced size of the olfactory bulb also suggests additional roles for KIF1BP. Our mouse model provides a valuable resource to understand GOSHS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S Hirst
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Lincon A Stamp
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Annette J Bergner
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Marlene M Hao
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Mai X Tran
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Jan M Morgan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Matthias Dutschmann
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew M Allen
- Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - George Paxinos
- Neuroscience Research Australia and School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, 2031, NSW, Australia
| | - Teri M Furlong
- Neuroscience Research Australia and School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, 2031, NSW, Australia
| | - Sonja J McKeown
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia. .,Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
| | - Heather M Young
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
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