Structurally defined signaling in neuro-glia units in the enteric nervous system

Werend Boesmans*, Marlene M. Hao, Candice Fung, Zhiling Li, Chris Van den Haute, Jan Tack, Vassilis Pachnis, Pieter Vanden Berghe*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Coordination of gastrointestinal function relies on joint efforts of enteric neurons and glia, whose crosstalk is vital for the integration of their activity. To investigate the signaling mechanisms and to delineate the spatial aspects of enteric neuron-to-glia communication within enteric ganglia we developed a method to stimulate single enteric neurons while monitoring the activity of neighboring enteric glial cells. We combined cytosolic calcium uncaging of individual enteric neurons with calcium imaging of enteric glial cells expressing a genetically encoded calcium indicator and demonstrate that enteric neurons signal to enteric glial cells through pannexins using paracrine purinergic pathways. Sparse labeling of enteric neurons and high-resolution analysis of the structural relation between neuronal cell bodies, varicose release sites and enteric glia uncovered that this form of neuron-to-glia communication is contained between the cell body of an enteric neuron and its surrounding enteric glial cells. Our results reveal the spatial and functional foundation of neuro-glia units as an operational cellular assembly in the enteric nervous system.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1167-1178
Number of pages12
JournalGlia
Volume67
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2019

Keywords

  • ATP RELEASE
  • CA2+
  • CALCIUM
  • CELLS
  • COMMUNICATION
  • Ca2+ imaging
  • Ca2+ uncaging
  • MOUSE
  • MYENTERIC PLEXUS
  • NEUROTRANSMITTER RELEASE
  • NITROPHENYL-EGTA
  • PANNEXIN-1 HEMICHANNELS
  • enteric glial cell
  • enteric neuron
  • gastrointestinal tract
  • purinergic signaling
  • synaptic

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