Plasticity of enteric neurotransmission varies during day-night cycles and with feeding state.

The circadian cycle is a fundamental biological rhythm that governs many physiological functions across nearly all living organisms. In the gastrointestinal tract, activities such as gut motility, hormone synthesis, and communication between the gut, central nervous system and microbiome all fluctuate in alignment with the circadian cycle. The enteric nervous system (ENS) is critical for co-ordinating many of these activities, however, how its activity is governed by the circadian cycle remains unknown.

Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Modulate Motility and Enteric Neural Activity in the Mouse Colon.

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and there is evidence that Group-I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu1 and mGlu5) have established roles in excitatory neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. While glutamate is abundantly present in the gut, it plays a smaller role in neurotransmission in the enteric nervous system. In this study, we examined the roles of Group-I mGlu receptors in gastrointestinal function.

Circadian Control of Gastrointestinal Motility.

With the earth's 24-h rotation cycle, physiological function fluctuates in both diurnal and nocturnal animals, thereby ensuring optimal functioning of the body. The main regulator of circadian rhythm is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is considered the main pacemaker or "central clock" of the body. Located in the anterior hypothalamus, the SCN influences the activity of other brain regions, as well as peripheral organs, through the release of melatonin and corticosteroids.

scRNA-Seq Reveals New Enteric Nervous System Roles for GDNF, NRTN, and TBX3.

Background And Aims: Bowel function requires coordinated activity of diverse enteric neuron subtypes. Our aim was to define gene expression in these neuron subtypes to facilitate development of novel therapeutic approaches to treat devastating enteric neuropathies, and to learn more about enteric nervous system function.

Methods: To identify subtype-specific genes, we performed single-nucleus RNA-seq on adult mouse and human colon myenteric plexus, and single-cell RNA-seq on E17.

Spatiotemporal Mapping Reveals Regional Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in mdx Dystrophic Mice Ameliorated by Oral L-arginine Supplementation.

Background/aims: Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy exhibit significant, ongoing impairments in gastrointestinal (GI) function likely resulting from dysregulated nitric oxide production. Compounds increasing neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression and/or activity could improve GI dysfunction and enhance quality of life for dystrophic patients. We used video imaging and spatiotemporal mapping to identify GI dysfunction in dystrophic mice and determine whether dietary intervention to enhance nitric oxide could alleviate aberrant colonic activity in muscular dystrophy.

Colonic dilation and altered ex vivo gastrointestinal motility in the neuroligin-3 knockout mouse.

Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is commonly reported by people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; autism) but the cause is unknown. Mutations in genes encoding synaptic proteins including Neuroligin-3 are associated with autism. Mice lacking Neuroligin-3 (Nlgn3 ) have altered brain function, but whether the enteric nervous system (ENS) is altered remains unknown.