Project description:Neural control of visceral organ function is essential for homeostasis and health. Intestinal peristalsis is critical for digestive physiology and host defence and is often dysregulated in gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Luminal factors, such as diet and microbiota regulate neurogenic programs of gut motility, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that the transcription factor Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) functions as a biosensor in intestinal neural circuits linking their functional output to the microbial environment of the gut lumen. Using nuclear RNA sequencing of mouse enteric neurons representing distinct intestinal segments and microbiota states, we demonstrate that the intrinsic neural networks of the colon exhibit unique transcriptional profiles controlled by the combined effects of host genetic programmes and microbial colonisation. Microbiota-induced expression of AhR in neurons of the distal gastrointestinal tract enables them to respond to the luminal environment and induce expression of neuron-specific effector mechanisms. Neuron-specific deletion of Ahr or constitutive overexpression of its negative feedback regulator CYP1A1, results in reduced peristaltic activity of the colon, similar to that observed in microbiota-depleted mice. Finally, expression of Ahr in enteric neurons of antibiotic-treated mice partially restores intestinal motility. Taken together, our experiments identify AhR signalling in enteric neurons as a regulatory node that integrates the luminal environment with the physiological output of intestinal neural circuits towards gut homeostasis and health. The enteric nervous system (ENS) encompasses the intrinsic neural networks of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which regulate most aspects of intestinal physiology, including peristalsis. In addition to host-specific genetic programmes, microbiota and diet have emerged as critical regulators of gut tissue physiology and changes in the microbial composition of the lumen often accompany GI disorders. However the molecular mechanisms by which gut enviromental factors regulate ENS homeostasis remain unknown. In order to address this issue, we used RNA sequencing to identify genes specifically upregulated in mouse colonic neurons in response to microbial colonisation.

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Enteric pathogens induce tissue tolerance and prevent neuronal loss from subsequent infections

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