Morphogenesis and maturation of the embryonic and postnatal intestine

Abstract

The intestine is a vital organ responsible for nutrient absorption, bile and waste excretion, and a major site of host immunity. In order to keep up with daily demands, the intestine has evolved a mechanism to expand the absorptive surface area by undergoing a morphogenetic process to generate finger-like units called villi. These villi house specialized cell types critical for both absorbing nutrients from food, and for protecting the host from commensal and pathogenic microbes present in the adult gut. In this review, we will discuss mechanisms that coordinate intestinal development, growth, and maturation of the small intestine, starting from the formation of the early gut tube, through villus morphogenesis and into early postnatal life when the intestine must adapt to the acquisition of nutrients through food intake, and to interactions with microbes.

Modeling branching morphogenesis using materials with programmable mechanical instabilities

“…In the mouse intestine, villus morphogenesis begins with an initially flat epithelium (Fig. 1B) [20]. Epithelial cells secrete soluble signals that induce proliferation and migration of the adjacent mesenchyme and its differentiation into smooth muscle.…”

“…The intestinal epithelium secretes growth factors that locally cluster mesenchymal cells. Reciprocal epithelial and mesenchymal signaling causes villi to emerge followed by shortening of the height of the epithelial layer [20]. ( C ) Early stages of tooth morphogenesis.…”

Bioengineering for intestinal organoid cultures

“…[28] While flow and some motility is relatively straightforward to incorporate in epithelial cell-lined microfluidic devices[29–32], it is much more difficult to perform long-term luminal perfusion of intestinal organoids while preserving organoid structure and function. Since postnatal intestinal development and pathophysiology require host-microbiota-virus interaction, inoculating the intestinal organoids with bacteria and viruses is crucial part of many studies.…”

Effects of methionine partially replaced by methionyl‐methionine dipeptide on intestinal function in methionine‐deficient pregnant mice

“…Sulphur amino acids, especially methionine (Met), are implicated in numerous biological functions in addition to their role in protein synthesis and are critical components of one‐carbon metabolism (Bauchart‐Thevret, Stoll, & Burrin, ). The intestine is a crucial organ essential for nutrient absorption and bile and waste excretion and an important site of host immunity (Chin, Hill, Aurora, & Spence, ). Adequate dietary Met is necessary for optimal protein synthesis and mucosal integrity, as well as the redox status in the small intestine in humans and animals (Chen et al, ; Su et al, ).…”