Zebrafish as a model for understanding enteric nervous system interactions in the developing intestinal tract

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Neuroscience
• Microbiology

Background:

• The enteric nervous system (ENS) is intricately linked with intestinal immune cells and luminal bacteria.
• Understanding these complex interactions is crucial for deciphering gut health and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the significant contributions of the zebrafish model to understanding ENS development and its interactions with other intestinal cell types.
• To highlight how zebrafish research elucidates mechanisms connecting intestinal symptoms with broader disease phenotypes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing zebrafish for forward genetic screens to identify novel genes in ENS development.
• Employing zebrafish for functional studies of genes identified in human populations.
• Leveraging zebrafish's capacity for germ-free and specific-microbiota colonization studies.
• Exploiting zebrafish's optical transparency and genetic tools for in vivo visualization of cellular interactions.

Main Results:

• Zebrafish screens have uncovered previously unknown genes critical for ENS development.
• Studies have linked intestinal symptoms to other disease phenotypes through zebrafish models.
• Chemical screens in zebrafish offer insights into drug effects on ENS development.
• Bacterial signals are demonstrated as essential for normal intestinal development in zebrafish.
• Interactions between bacteria, the immune system, and the ENS are visualized and analyzed.

Conclusions:

• The zebrafish model is invaluable for dissecting the complex interplay between the ENS, immune cells, and gut microbiota.
• Zebrafish research provides novel insights into ENS development, disease mechanisms, and potential therapeutic targets.
• In vivo visualization in zebrafish facilitates a deeper understanding of intestinal cell-cell communication.