
The gut contractile organoid developed in this study offers a useful model to understand the mechanisms underlying the rhythm coordination between/among interstitial cells of Cajal and smooth muscle cells during gut peristaltic movements.


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The gut undergoes peristaltic movements regulated by intricate cellular interactions. However, they have poorly been explored due to a lack of model system. We here developed a novel contractile organoid that is derived from the muscle layer of chicken embryonic hindgut. The organoid contained smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs; pacemaker) with few enteric neurons, and underwent periodic contractions. The organoid formed by self-organization with morphological arrangements of ICCs (internal) and SMCs (peripheral), allowing identification of these cells in live. GCaMP-Ca2+ imaging analyses revealed that Ca2+ transients between ICC- ICC, SMC-SMC or SMC-ICC were markedly coordinated. Pharmacological studies further showed that gap junctions play a role in ICC-to-SMC signaling, and also possible feedback from SMC’s contraction to ICC’s pace-making activities. In addition, two organoids with different rhythm became synchronized when mediated by SMCs, unveiling a novel contribution of SMCs to ICC’s pace-making. The gut contractile organoid developed in this study offers a useful model to understand the mechanisms underlying the rhythm coordination between/among ICCs and SMCs during gut peristaltic movements.

### Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The gut contractile organoid: a novel model for studying the gut motility regulated by coordinating signals between interstitial cells of Cajal and smooth muscles

a-novel-gut-contractile-organoid-model-for-studying-coordinated-signaling-between-interstitial-cells-of-cajal-and-smooth-muscle-cells


A Novel Gut Contractile Organoid Model for Studying Coordinated Signaling between Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Smooth Muscle Cells
