2020/02/03 by Tomotsune Ameku, Hannah Beckwith, Laura Blackie +1 · 1 voice
Immunology and Microbiology · Neuroscience · #Biology #Cell biology #Central nervous system #Circadian rhythm and melatonin #Crosstalk #Drosophila melanogaster #Enteric nervous system #Gastrointestinal tract #Gut flora #Gut–brain axis #Immunology #Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms #Motility #Nervous system #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research #Neuroplasticity #Neuroscience #Organism #Physiology #Plasticity
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.conb.2019.12.004
openalex publication_date 2020/02/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
The gastrointestinal tract is innervated by its own enteric nervous system and by extrinsic neurons that connect it with the central nervous system. Innervation allows the gastrointestinal tract to sense and respond to diverse stimuli, adjusting motility and secretion, but also affecting our physiology, behaviour and immunity. The mechanisms underlying the formation of gastrointestinal neurons are beginning to be elucidated; those that keep them plastic over an organism's lifetime remain to be explored. Here, we review the effects of microbiota, nutrients, sex and ageing on the morphology and function of gastrointestinal innervation in mammals, and discuss how this plasticity shapes gut-brain crosstalk and whole-body physiology. We also highlight insights gained by nascent studies of the enteric innervation of Drosophila melanogaster.