Travelling within the fetal gut: Simple rules for an arduous journey

Abstract

The complex physiology of the gastrointestinal tract is regulated by intricate neural networks embedded within the gut wall. How neural crest cells colonize the intestine to form the enteric nervous system is of great interest to developmental biologists, but also highly relevant for understanding gastrointestinal disorders. A recent paper in BMC Biology addresses this issue with live imaging of gut explants from mouse embryos. See research article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/12/23.