Open AccessCircuit-specific enteric glia regulate intestinal motor neurocircuits
Author(s) -
Mustafa Ahmadzai,
Luisa Seguella,
Brian D. Gulbransen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2025938118
Subject(s) - enteric nervous system , neuroscience , purinergic receptor , biology , cholinergic , neuroglia , biological neural network , purinergic signalling , microbiology and biotechnology , central nervous system , receptor , adenosine receptor , biochemistry , extracellular , agonist
Significance Neurons have long been considered the main active cell type within the circuitry of the enteric nervous system (ENS), giving rise to a neurocentric paradigm that has tended to overlook the role of enteric glia as key regulators of gut motility. Understanding how simple synapse-level interactions give rise to complex, network-level behaviors remains a fundamental problem in neurogastroenterology. We show that enteric glia and neurons interact in a cell- and network-specific manner and that enteric glia display functional heterogeneity based on selective signaling with particular neuron subtypes and circuits belonging to overlapping ascending, descending, and circumferential pathways of the ENS. Enteric glia thus function as logic gates to modify neural network activity through purinergic and cholinergic mechanisms.