AUTHOR=Robinson Beatriz G. , Oster Beau A. , Robertson Keiramarie , Kaltschmidt Julia A. 

TITLE=Loss of ASD-related molecule Cntnap2 affects colonic motility in mice

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=17

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1287057

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2023.1287057

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<p>Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are highly prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the molecular link between ASD and GI dysfunction remains poorly understood. The enteric nervous system (ENS) is critical for normal GI motility and has been shown to be altered in mouse models of ASD and other neurological disorders. Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2) is an ASD-related synaptic cell-adhesion molecule important for sensory processing. In this study, we examine the role of Cntnap2 in GI motility by characterizing Cntnap2’s expression in the ENS and assessing GI function in <italic>Cntnap2</italic> mutant mice. We find Cntnap2 expression predominately in enteric sensory neurons. We further assess <italic>in vivo</italic> and <italic>ex vivo</italic> GI motility in Cntnap2 mutants and show altered transit time and colonic motility patterns. The overall organization of the ENS appears undisturbed. Our results suggest that <italic>Cntnap2</italic> plays a role in GI function and may provide a molecular link between ASD and GI dysfunction.</p>