A gut-brain neural circuit for nutrient sensory transduction
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Dissection of Fear Circuits in Brain Slices
Published on: April 5, 2016
Melanie Maya Kaelberer1, Kelly L Buchanan2, Marguerita E Klein1
1Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Abstract:
The brain is thought to sense gut stimuli only via the passive release of hormones. This is because no connection has been described between the vagus and the putative gut epithelial sensor cell-the enteroendocrine cell. However, these electrically excitable cells contain several features of epithelial transducers. Using a mouse model, we found that enteroendocrine cells synapse with vagal neurons to transduce gut luminal signals in milliseconds by using glutamate as a neurotransmitter. These synaptically connected enteroendocrine cells are referred to henceforth as neuropod cells. The neuroepithelial circuit they form connects the intestinal lumen to the brainstem in one synapse, opening a physical conduit for the brain to sense gut stimuli with the temporal precision and topographical resolution of a synapse.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
What is a Sensory System?
Neural Circuits
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
Neural Regulation
Absorption of Nutrients
Enterocytes, which are specialized polar epithelial cells, line the mucosa of the small intestinal walls. These cells...
Transduction
Second-Order Circuits
Input signals typically originate from voltage or current sources, with the output often representing voltage across the capacitor and/or current through the inductor. For example, in...

