Hsu IU, Lin Y, Guo Y, Xu QJ, Shao Y, Wang RL, Yin D, Zhao J, Young LH, Zhao H, Zhang L, Chang RB. Differential developmental blueprints of organ-intrinsic nervous systems.
BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.12.571306. [PMID:
38168446 PMCID:
PMC10759999 DOI:
10.1101/2023.12.12.571306]
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Abstract
The organ-intrinsic nervous system is a major interface between visceral organs and the brain, mediating important sensory and regulatory functions in the body-brain axis and serving as critical local processors for organ homeostasis. Molecularly, anatomically, and functionally, organ-intrinsic neurons are highly specialized for their host organs. However, the underlying mechanism that drives this specialization is largely unknown. Here, we describe the differential strategies utilized to achieve organ-specific organization between the enteric nervous system (ENS) 1 and the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS) 2 , a neuronal network essential for heart performance but poorly characterized. Integrating high-resolution whole-embryo imaging, single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics, we uncover that unlike the ENS which is highly mobile and colonizes the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the ICNS uses a rich set of extracellular matrix (ECM) genes that match with surrounding heart cells and an intermediate dedicated neuronal progenitor state to stabilize itself for a 'beads-on-the-necklace' organization on heart atria. While ICNS- and ENS-precursors are genetically similar, their differentiation paths are influenced by their host-organs, leading to distinct mature neuron types. Co-culturing ENS-precursors with heart cells shifts their identity towards the ICNS and induces the expression of heart-matching ECM genes. Our cross-organ study thus reveals fundamental principles for the maturation and specialization of organ-intrinsic neurons.
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