@article{b32e884e2f6d4c2e9ac664d8b096fc75,
title = "Structurally defined signaling in neuro-glia units in the enteric nervous system",
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.",
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",
author = "Werend Boesmans and Hao, {Marlene M.} and Candice Fung and Zhiling Li and {Van den Haute}, Chris and Jan Tack and Vassilis Pachnis and {Vanden Berghe}, Pieter",
note = "Funding Information: Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Grant/ Award Number: G.0921.25, GOH1816N; University of Leuven, Grant/Award Number: Methusalem/14/05; Hercules, Grant/Award Numbers: AKUL/09/050, AKUL/11/37, AKUL/ 15/37; National Health and Medical Research Council; China Scholarship Council, Grant/Award Number: 201408370078; Maastricht University Funding Information: We thank Micky Moons for his excellent technical assistance during experiments and the other members of LENS for their constructive comments on the study and manuscript. The authors' work is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) grant G.0921.25 (to P.V.B.) and Methusalem/14/05, University of Leuven, Belgium (to P.V.B. and J.T.). M.M.H. and W.B. were supported by postdoctoral fellowships from FWO. M.M.H. is a National Health and Medical Research Council fellow. Z.L. is supported by a PhD fellowship from the China Scholarship Council (CSC). The microscopy equipment (Cell and Tissue Imaging Cluster: CIC) was supported by grants to P.V.B. (Andor revolution: AKUL/09/050; Zeiss LSM780: AKUL/11/37, Zeiss LSM880: AKUL/15/37). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 The Authors. Glia published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.",
year = "2019",
month = jun,
doi = "10.1002/glia.23596",
language = "English",
volume = "67",
pages = "1167--1178",
journal = "Glia",
issn = "0894-1491",
publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Inc.",
number = "6",
}