Effect of Gdnf haploinsufficiency rate of migration and number of enteric neural crest-derived cells

Abstract

The enteric nervous system arises predominantly from vagal level neural crest cells that migrate into the foregut and then colonize the entire length of the gastrointestinal tract. Previous studies have demonstrated that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promotes the migration of enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCs) in vitro, but a role for GDNF in the migration of ENCs in vivo has yet to be demonstrated. In this study, the effects of Gdnf haploinsufficiency on ENC rate of migration and number during mid embryonic development were examined. Although the entire gut of embryonic Gdnf(+/-) mice was colonized, a significant delay in the migration of ENCs along the embryonic..