How sensory neurons impact the gut Scripps Research scientists show that the receptor PIEZO2 in sensory neurons controls gut motility and transit time, which are important for digestion and nutrient absorption.
August 03, 2023
LA JOLLA, CA Gastrointestinal and digestive issues impact roughly 3 million people across the United States alone, and that number is growing. A new study from Scripps Research scientists shows how sensory neurons control our gastrointestinal tracts critical information that could shape our understanding of related diseases and disorders.
The study, published in the journal Cell on Aug. 3rd, 2023, used a combination of human clinical data and animal models to reveal that the receptor PIEZO2 controls gastrointestinal transit through the stomach, small intestine, and colon by sensing the presence of food and slowing the rate of gut motility accordingly. These findings could lead to therapeutic applications for a range of gastrointestinal conditions, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
PIEZO2 plays a crucial role in gastrointestinal physiology and is necessary for normal gut function, says senior author Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, professor in the Dorris Neuroscience Center at Scripps Research and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Patapoutian received the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology for discovering that PIEZO2 and a related receptor, PIEZO1, are necessary for the cells to respond to mechanical stimuli. Food and other ingested contents activate PIEZO2, which in turn dramatically slows gut transit.
Gut transit time the rate at which food moves through our gastrointestinal tracts is essential for digestion, nutrient absorption and waste removal. Optimal digestion requires an optimal transit time: too slow, and you end up with constipation; too fast, and you risk diarrhea. Up until now, there's been a limited understanding of how sensory pathways guide this process.
Patapoutian's team decided to investigate whether sensory input from the receptor PIEZO2 plays a role in gut motility. PIEZO2 proteins are activated by mechanical forces or pressure and are found throughout the body, though their role in gastrointestinal motility has not been previously explored. PIEZO2 receptors are also involved in sensing the degree of lung inflation or bladder filling, so it made sense that these receptors might also be able to detect distension of the gastrointestinal tract.
We wanted to understand the consequences of lacking this mechano-sensation and whether people without PIEZO2 have gastrointestinal problems, says M. Rocio Servin-Vences, PhD, the study's first author and a postdoctoral fellow in the Patapoutian lab at Scripps Research and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Humans are sometimes though rarely born without functional PIEZO2 genes, and studying these individuals provides a window into the protein's function. In collaboration with Alexander Chesler's team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the researchers assessed the gastrointestinal health and medical history of a cohort of 12 humans, ranging in age from 9 to 42, who carried non-functional variants of the PIEZO2 gene.
Compared to members of the general population, the PIEZO2-deficient individuals reported a range of gastrointestinal dysfunctions including lumpy and watery stools. Notably, six of the individuals reported that they could not sense bowel movements, and five reported using medications to relieve gastrointestinal distress.
The gastrointestinal dysfunction that these PIEZO2-deficient individuals described was striking, says Servin-Vences. It suggests that PIEZO2-deficient individuals have impaired sensation in bowel function that affects their quality of life, and also that the mechanosensitive channel PIEZO2 plays a crucial role in human gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology.
To explore the mechanism behind how PIEZO2 governs gut physiology, the researchers next turned to animal models. They found that when PIEZO2 was removed from sensory neurons, the mice had much faster gut transit times, more frequent defecation and their stools had a higher water content.
We were able to show that PIEZO2 is important for slowing down gastrointestinal transit, says Servin-Vences. When mice do not have PIEZO2 in these neurons, their gastrointestinal transit goes super fast, which has important consequences because it suggests that there is not enough time for proper nutrient absorption.
Since PIEZO2 is expressed by multiple groups of neurons that innervate the gut, the researchers also wanted to pinpoint which neural pathway is responsible for controlling gut transit time. By using genetic and viral tools to selectively shut down PIEZO2 in two neural pathways the nodose ganglia and dorsal root ganglia the researchers were able to show that neurons in the dorsal root ganglia are exclusively responsible for controlling gut motility.
It was very surprising that neurons from the dorsal root ganglia but not from the nodose ganglia have a homeostatic function in gut motility, says Servin-Vences. The nodose ganglia is known to regulate many functions in the gut, lungs and heart, whereas neurons from the dorsal root ganglia are more known for innervating the skin and detecting temperature and pain.
The team also used fluorescent imaging to show that PIEZO2 control of gut motility occurs along the entire gastrointestinal tract from stomach to small intestine to colon.
Though this is just an initial glimpse into how sensory neurons control gut motility, the researchers say it opens a slew of new research questions, and the possibility for future therapeutics. Servin-Vences says next steps are to assess how diet, lifestyle, stress and even microbiota affect this complicated system.
In the long term, if we are able to
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
28/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in partnership with the Oudtshoorn Municipality, invites aspiring and emerging filmmakers to apply for the Sediba...
28/01/2026
As demand for more complex live sports coverage grows, Balkan broadcast specialist MVP has upgraded its flagship HD1 progressive OB truck with the installation ...
28/01/2026
Airlines, cruise and tour operators double down on ad spend as Australians' prioritise travel
Sydney January 28, 2026 - New Nielsen Ad Intel data shows a...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Marshall Electronics launches the CV420-27X, its next-generation ultra-high-definition (UHD) IP camera, at ISE 2026 (Stand 4N900). Engineered for modern IP-base...
28/01/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Television Mobiles Ltd. (TVM), one of Europe's leading independent outside broadcast providers, has carried out a major refu...
28/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities
FOR-A is bringing remarkable new technologies to FOMEX, the Future of Media Exhibition (ex...
28/01/2026
Continuing a longstanding collaboration, Riedel Communications and Nordic media technology company Media Tailor have once again joined forces to deliver a state...
28/01/2026
Pebble has appointed Paul Nagle-Smith as vice president for customer fulfilment, strengthening its senior leadership focus on customer delivery and operational ...
28/01/2026
Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset has announced that leading Mexican broadcaster, TV Azteca is using Veset Nimbus on AWS as a disaster recovery (DR) playo...
28/01/2026
Ensuring it can keep pace with a rapidly evolving live sports market, Balkan broadcast facility provider MVP Most Valuable Production has upgraded its flags...
28/01/2026
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud solutions provider that powers and protects life online, and Yospace, the leader in dynamic ad insertion tec...
28/01/2026
The renowned Reykjavik City Theatre (RCT) recently underwent a major intercom system upgrade using Clear-Com solutions. This milestone project utilizes Clear-C...
28/01/2026
Luxembourg, January 26, 2026 - SES S.A. ( SES or the Company ), a leading space solutions company, acknowledges the credit rating action announced by Fitch to...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
28 01 2026 - Media release Screen Australia refreshes Market & Audience approach...
28/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonar...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
The Wait Is Over: Teaser Trailer Drops for Jo Nesbo's Dete...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces a Fictional Miniseries Inspired by the Marta del Castillo Case
Entertainment
28 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to ...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces Santiago Mitres New Film Starring Ver nica L...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Teaser Trailer for Berlin and the Lady wit...
28/01/2026
Stadtwerke Wolfhagen Modernize Customer Management with AEP.energysuite from Arv...
27/01/2026
Click for Japanese version
Tokyo, Japan - January 27, 2026 - Akamai Technolo...
27/01/2026
L-R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Sta...
27/01/2026
Today, Spotify is proud to support our partner Backline, an industry-leading men...
27/01/2026
With nearly 29 million monthly listeners and clear momentum on Spotify, Net n Ve...
27/01/2026
January 14, 2026
We are proud to share that 25 Ontario, First Gulf's commercial project located just two minutes from our head office, has been recognized ...
27/01/2026
January 22, 2026
First Gulf is excited to share that a full-building lease has been secured at 625 Bronte Rd in Oakville, part of Bronte Station Business Park,...
27/01/2026
January 23, 2026
First Gulf continues to demonstrate its commitment to high-performance, sustainable real estate with 351 King Street East achieving BOMA BEST ...
27/01/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
27/01/2026
Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement
in...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...
27/01/2026
Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...
27/01/2026
The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...
27/01/2026
SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...
27/01/2026
Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...
27/01/2026
Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...
27/01/2026
Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...
27/01/2026
ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...
How sensory neurons impact the gut Scripps Research scientists show that the receptor PIEZO2 in sensory neurons controls gut motility and transit time, which are important for digestion and nutrient absorption.
