title: A novel enteric neuron-glia coculture system reveals the role of glia in neuronal development.
abstract: Unlike astrocytes in the brain, the potential role of enteric glial cells (EGCs) in the formation of the enteric neuronal circuit is currently unknown. To examine the role of EGCs in the formation of the neuronal network, we developed a novel neuron-enriched culture model from embryonic rat intestine grown in indirect coculture with EGCs. We found that EGCs shape axonal complexity and synapse density in enteric neurons, through purinergic- and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-dependent pathways. Using a novel and valuable culture model to study enteric neuron-glia interactions, our study identified EGCs as a key cellular actor regulating neuronal network maturation.
  
  
  
  In the nervous system, the formation of neuronal circuitry results from a complex and coordinated action of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In the CNS, extrinsic mediators derived from astrocytes have been shown to play a key role in neuronal maturation, including dendritic shaping, axon guidance and synaptogenesis. In the enteric nervous system (ENS), the potential role of enteric glial cells (EGCs) in the maturation of developing enteric neuronal circuit is currently unknown. A major obstacle in addressing this question is the difficulty in obtaining a valuable experimental model in which enteric neurons could be isolated and maintained without EGCs. We adapted a cell culture method previously developed for CNS neurons to establish a neuron-enriched primary culture from embryonic rat intestine which was cultured in indirect coculture with EGCs. We demonstrated that enteric neurons grown in such conditions showed several structural, phenotypic and functional hallmarks of proper development and maturation. However, when neurons were grown without EGCs, the complexity of the axonal arbour and the density of synapses were markedly reduced, suggesting that glial-derived factors contribute strongly to the formation of the neuronal circuitry. We found that these effects played by EGCs were mediated in part through purinergic P2Y1receptor- and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-dependent pathways. Using a novel and valuable culture model to study enteric neuron-glia interactions, our study identified EGCs as a key cellular actor required for neuronal network maturation.
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR 913, IMAD, University of Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Berre-Scoul
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR 913, IMAD, University of Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chevalier
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR 913, IMAD, University of Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oleynikova
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR 913, IMAD, University of Nantes, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cossais
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR 913, IMAD, University of Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talon
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR 913, IMAD, University of Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1892-5071
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neunlist
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR 913, IMAD, University of Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boudin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
keywords: GDNF; axonal outgrowth; enteric glial cell; enteric nervous system; neuronal maturation