AUTHOR=Gautron Laurent TITLE=Molecular anatomy of the gut-brain axis revealed with transgenic technologies: implications in metabolic research JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience VOLUME=7 YEAR=2013 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2013.00134 DOI=10.3389/fnins.2013.00134 ISSN=1662-453X ABSTRACT=

Neurons residing in the gut-brain axis remain understudied despite their important role in coordinating metabolic functions. This lack of knowledge is observed, in part, because labeling gut-brain axis neurons and their connections using conventional neuroanatomical methods is inherently challenging. This article summarizes genetic approaches that enable the labeling of distinct populations of gut-brain axis neurons in living laboratory rodents. In particular, we review the respective strengths and limitations of currently available genetic and viral approaches that permit the marking of gut-brain axis neurons without the need for antibodies or conventional neurotropic tracers. Finally, we discuss how these methodological advances are progressively transforming the study of the healthy and diseased gut-brain axis in the context of its role in chronic metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity.