Development of the Enteric Neuromuscular System

Normal gastrointestinal (GI) homeostasis depends on the ability of multiple tissues and cell types to work in coordination to perform essential functions, including the movement and mixing of contents along its length, the integration of sensory input, the absorption of water and nutrients, the secretion from glands, and the regulation of blood flow. The functioning GI neuromuscular system is comprised of smooth muscle cells, interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), and the neurons and glia of the enteric nervous system (ENS). All of these diverse components arise from distinct sources during development and must, during the course of embryogenesis, differentiate and integrate into a coordinated network ready to function and adapt in the postnatal environment. In this chapter, we synthesize information from model systems and humans to describe the development of each constituent part of the neuromuscular system, as well as outline how these constituents become part of a functioning whole. We further provide links to human diseases that arise from embryological and developmental disorders of neuromuscular development.