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Defining the transcriptomic landscape of the developing enteric nervous system and its cellular environment
Sweta Roy-Carson1, Kevin Natukunda1, Hsien-Chao Chou1,2
1Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
BMC Genomics
|April 14, 2017
Summary
Researchers identified novel genes and pathways crucial for enteric nervous system (ENS) development in zebrafish. This study advances our understanding of gastrointestinal motility and may lead to new therapeutic strategies for gut disorders.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Neuroscience
- Genomics
Background:
- The enteric nervous system (ENS) controls gastrointestinal motility.
- Molecular mechanisms of ENS development and neural network formation are not fully understood.
- The phox2b-expressing ENS cell lineage is critical for ENS development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To transcriptionally identify molecular pathways and genes driving ENS development.
- To analyze the transcriptional landscape of the intestinal microenvironment.
- To investigate phox2b-expressing ENS progenitor specification and differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Manual dissection of zebrafish intestines from a Tg(phox2b:EGFP) transgenic line.
- Fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate phox2b-expressing ENS progenitors.
- RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) for transcriptional profiling.
Main Results:
- Identified genes and pathways involved in ENS cell determination and subtype specification.
- Characterized the non-neural cellular microenvironment of the ENS.
- Discovered novel genes and pathways, including the Nogo/Reticulon pathway, in ENS development.
Conclusions:
- Provided comprehensive gene expression profiles of ENS progenitors and their microenvironment.
- Confirmed known and identified numerous novel genes/pathways regulating ENS development.
- Dataset offers potential therapeutic targets for gastrointestinal disorders.