Gut-brain axis

The gut-brain axis (GBA) consists of bidirectional communication between the central and the enteric nervous system, linking the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions.

Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, Shi et al. uncover that a Wnt signaling pathway in the gut regulates synaptic development in the brain. A canonical Wnt signaling pathway promotes synapse formation through regulating the expression of the neuropeptides encoding gene nlp-40 in the gut, which functions through the neuronally expressed GPCR/AEX-2 receptor during development. Wnt-NLP-40-AEX-2 signaling likely acts to modulate neuronal activity. The study revealed a genetic role of the gut in synaptogenesis and identifies a novel contribution of the gut-brain axis ¹⁾