Individuals with mutations in present with gastrointestinal complaints, yet the underlying mechanisms are understudied. Here, using a stable constitutive mutant zebrafish model, we found that the loss of leads to a reduced number of vagal neural crest cells (NCCs), enteric neural and glial progenitors, emigrating from the neural tube, and that their early migration capability was altered. At later stages, although the intestinal colonization by NCCs was complete, we found the decreased numbers of both serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells and NCC-derived serotonergic neurons, suggesting an intestinal hyposerotonemia in the absence of Furthermore, transcriptomic analyses revealed an altered expression of key receptors and enzymes in serotonin and acetylcholine signaling pathways.
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