A population of gut epithelial enterochromaffin cells is mechanosensitive and requires Piezo2 to convert force into serotonin release

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1804938115
• Publication Date: 2018-07-23T19:16:22Z
• Authors: Constanza Alcaino; Kaitlyn R. Knutson; Anthony J. Treichel; Gulcan Yildiz; Peter R. Strege; David R. Linden; Joyce H. Li; Andrew B. Leiter; Joseph H. Szursze...; Gianrico Farrugia; Arthur Beyder
• Keywords: Serotonin; Cells; Primary Cell Culture; Mice, Transgenic; Mechanotransduction, Cellular; Ion Channels; Mice; Enterochromaffin Cells; Animals; Fluids and Secretions; RNA, Small Interfering; Molecular Biology; Cells, Cultured; enterochromaffin cell; Gastroenterology; mechanosensitivity; Cell Biology; gastrointestinal; serotonin; Cellular and Molecular Physiology; Organoids; Jejunum; PNAS Plus; ion channel; Single-Cell Analysis; Digestive System

SignificanceMechanical forces are important for normal gastrointestinal tract function. The enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal epithelium have been proposed, but not previously shown, to be specialized sensors that convert forces into serotonin release, and serotonin released from these cells is important for normal gastrointestinal secretion and motility. The findings in this study show that some enterochromaffin cells are indeed mechanosensitive, and that they use mechanosensitive Piezo2 channels to generate an ionic current that is critical for the intracellular Ca2+increase, serotonin release, and epithelial fluid secretion.