Smooth-muscle-specific expression of neurotrophin-3 in mouse embryonic and neonatal gastrointestinal tract.

ABSTRACT: Vagal gastrointestinal (GI) afferents are essential for the regulation of eating, body weight, and digestion. However, their functional organization and the way that this develops are poorly understood. Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) is crucial for the survival of vagal sensory neurons and is expressed in the developing GI tract, possibly contributing to their survival and to other aspects of vagal afferent development. The identification of the functions of this peripheral NT-3 thus requires a detailed understanding of the localization and timing of its expression in the developing GI tract. We have studied embryos and neonates expressing the lacZ reporter gene from the NT-3 locus and found that NT-3 is expressed predominantly in the smooth muscle of the outer GI wall of the stomach, intestines, a

SUBMITTER: Fox EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2868369 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature