studying-murine-small-bowel-mechanosensing-of-luminal-particulates

Studying Murine Small Bowel Mechanosensing of Luminal Particulates

Gastrointestinal (GI) motility is critical for normal digestion and absorption. In the small bowel, which absorbs nutrients, motility optimizes digestion ...

Mayo Clinic

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract extracts nutrients from ingested meals while protecting the organism from infectious agents frequently present in meals. Consequently, most animals conduct the entire digestive process within the GI tract while keeping the luminal contents entirely outside the body, separated by the tightly sealed GI epithelium. Therefore, like the skin and oral cavity, the GI tract must sense the chemical and physical properties of the its external interface to optimize its function. Specialized sensory enteroendocrine cells (EECs) in GI epithelium interact intimately with luminal contents. A subpopulation of EECs express the mechanically gated ion channel Piezo2 and are developmentally and functionally like the skin's touch sensor- the Merkel cell. We hypothesized that Piezo2+ EECs endow the gut with intrinsic tactile sensitivity.

Andrew Wegner

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