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 ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien...
02/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has extended the ingest facility at leading Brazilian sports company LiveMode, work...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
02/07/2026
Summer is heating up - and GeForce NOW is taking players along for the ride.
Start the month with Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains, bringing a galaxy fa...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
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.
