Guidance molecules involved in the development of the enteric nervous system

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There are millions of nerve cells within the wall of the intestine, and they control many intestinal functions, including motility. During development, these nerve cells arise from cells which migrate away from the developing brain and first enter the stomach. The migratory cells are called 'neural crest' cells. After entering the stomach, neural crest cells migrate within the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, until they reach the far (anal) end. In embryonic mice, this colonisation of the entire gut by neural crest cells takes over four days, and in humans the process probably takes around three weeks. It is essential that neural crest cells colonise the entire gastrointestinal tract, since regions of intestine lacking neural crest cells (and hence nerve cells) cannot function and intestinal contents build up in front of the region lacking nerve cells. This condition is found in some babies (Hirschsprung's disease), and it can only be treated by surgically removing the region lacking nerve cells. Currently, little is known about the mechanisms controlling the migration of neural crest cells within the gut, and whether particular molecules are involved in this process. In this study, we will use a variety of methods to identify the molecules that are involved in the migration of neural crest cells into and along the developing gut.