Microbial Modulation of the Development and Physiology of the Enteric Nervous System
2021
Leulier, François | Joly, Amélie | De Vadder, Filipe
The gastrointestinal tract harbors an intrinsic neuronal network, the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS controls motility, fluid homeostasis and blood flow, but also interacts with other components of the intestine such as epithelial and immune cells. Recent studies indicate that gut microbiota diversification occurring concomitantly to postnatal ENS maturation could be critical for ENS development and function. Here we discuss the possibility that this functional relationship starts in utero, whereby the maternal microbiota would prime the developing ENS and shape its physiology. We review the ENS/microbiota interactions and their modulation in physiological and pathophysiological contexts. While the microbial modulation of ENS physiology is now well established, further studies are required to understand the contribution of the gut microbiota to the ENS development and pathologies and to reveal the precise mechanisms underlying microbiota-to-ENS communications.
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