QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online November 17, 2003
doi: 10.1242/10.1242/dev.00857

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bondurand, N. Articles by Pachnis, V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bondurand, N. Articles by Pachnis, V.

Neuron and glia generating progenitors of the mammalian enteric nervous system isolated from foetal and postnatal gut cultures

Nadege Bondurand^1,*,, Dipa Natarajan^1,, Nikhil Thapar^1,, Chris Atkins² and Vassilis Pachnis^1,

¹ Division of Molecular Neurobiology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
² Division of Immunoregulation, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK

Author for correspondence (e-mail: vpachni{at}nimr.mrc.ac.uk)

Accepted 4 September 2003

Cultures of dissociated foetal and postnatal mouse gut gave rise to neurosphere-like bodies, which contained large numbers of mature neurons and glial cells. In addition to differentiated cells, neurosphere-like bodies included proliferating progenitors which, when cultured at clonal densities, gave rise to colonies containing many of the neuronal subtypes and glial cells present in the mammalian enteric nervous system. These progenitors were also capable of colonising wild-type and aganglionic gut in organ culture and had the potential to generate differentiated progeny that localised within the intrinsic ganglionic plexus. Similar progenitors were also derived from the normoganglionic small intestine of mice with colonic aganglionosis. Our findings establish the feasibility of expanding and isolating early progenitors of the enteric nervous system based on their ability to form distinct neurogenic and gliogenic structures in culture. Furthermore, these experiments provide the rationale for the development of novel approaches to the treatment of congenital megacolon (Hirschsprung's disease) based on the colonisation of the aganglionic gut with progenitors derived from normoganglionic bowel segments.

Key words: Enteric nervous system, Neural crest progenitors, Hirschsprung's disease

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H.-Y. Li, E. H. M. Say, and X.-F. Zhou Isolation and Characterization of Neural Crest Progenitors from Adult Dorsal Root Ganglia Stem Cells, August 1, 2007; 25(8): 2053 - 2065. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. D Gershon Transplanting the enteric nervous system: a step closer to treatment for aganglionosis Gut, April 1, 2007; 56(4): 459 - 461. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Almond, R. M Lindley, S. E Kenny, M G. Connell, and D. H Edgar Characterisation and transplantation of enteric nervous system progenitor cells Gut, April 1, 2007; 56(4): 489 - 496. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Bondurand, D. Natarajan, A. Barlow, N. Thapar, and V. Pachnis Maintenance of mammalian enteric nervous system progenitors by SOX10 and endothelin 3 signalling Development, May 15, 2006; 133(10): 2075 - 2086. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. A. Heanue and V. Pachnis From the Cover: Expression profiling the developing mammalian enteric nervous system identifies marker and candidate Hirschsprung disease genes PNAS, May 2, 2006; 103(18): 6919 - 6924. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Fu, V. C. H. Lui, M. H. Sham, V. Pachnis, and P. K. H. Tam Sonic hedgehog regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of enteric neural crest cells in gut J. Cell Biol., August 30, 2004; 166(5): 673 - 684. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]