The Enteric Glia: Identity and Functions

• Published in: Glia Vol. 63; no. 6; pp. 921 - 935
• Main Authors: Coelho-Aguiar, Juliana de Mattos, Bon-Frauches, Ana Carina, Gomes, Ana Lúcia Tavares, Veríssimo, Carla Pires, Aguiar, Diego Pinheiro, Matias, Diana, Thomasi, Beatriz Bastos de Moraes, Gomes, Antoniella Souza, Brito, Gerly Anne de Castro, Moura-Neto, Vivaldo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; astrocytes; Cell Communication - physiology; differentiation; enteric glia; enteric nervous system; Enteric Nervous System - physiology; Enteric Nervous System - physiopathology; Humans; Nervous system; neural crest; Neurogenesis - physiology; Neuroglia - physiology; enteric glia; differentiation; astrocytes; enteric nervous system; neural crest
• ISSN: 0894-1491; 1098-1136
• DOI: 10.1002/glia.22795

Enteric glial cells were first described at the end of the 19th century, but they attracted more interest from researchers only in the last decades of the 20th. Although, they have a different embryological origin, the enteric GLIA share many characteristics with astrocytes, the main glial cell type of the central nervous system (CNS), such as in their expression of the same markers and in their functions. Here we review the construction of the enteric nervous system (ENS), with a focus on enteric glia, and also the main studies that have revealed the action of enteric glia in different aspects of gastrointestinal tract homeostasis, such as in the intestinal barrier, in communications with neurons, and in their action as progenitor cells. We also discuss recent discoveries about the roles of enteric glia in different disorders that affect the ENS, such as degenerative pathologies including Parkinson's and prion diseases, and in cases of intestinal diseases and injury. GLIA 2015;63:921–935
Main Points
This article discusses the characteristics of enteric glial cells and their main functions, as well as the organization and embryonic development of the enteric nervous system.
We compare the performance of enteric glia with that of astrocytes in different situations, including their roles in the maintenance of the barriers protecting their environments, communication with neurons, and as progenitor cells.
We also review recent studies that show how enteric glia act in cases of neurodegenerative disorders and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.