Gut–brain communication: types of sensory nerves and mechanisms of activation

Oct 29, 2025Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology

How different gut sensory nerves send signals to the brain and how they are activated

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Abstract

New evidence indicates that single dorsal root ganglia neurons can give rise to multiple different morphological types of endings within different gut layers.

  • The gastrointestinal tract detects various stimuli through vagal and spinal afferent nerves.
  • Viscerofugal neurons may play a role in gut-brain signaling.
  • Piezo2 channels are crucial for detecting mechanical stimuli in gut-projecting spinal afferents.
  • Substances from enteroendocrine cells may activate vagal and spinal afferent endings in the mucosa via a paracrine mechanism.
  • Advances in neurogenetic techniques and high-resolution tracing have helped identify distinct types of spinal and vagal afferents connected to gut-brain communication.

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