27 November, 2025 – Nicolas CHEVALIER – Electrical embryogenesis and biomechanics of the second brain

Dr. Nicolas CHEVALIER; Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire MSC

SPPIN’s webinar 2025, 27 November, 2025 at 11h, SPPIN common room, 3rd floor, E368

Electrical embryogenesis and biomechanics of the second brain

Enteric neural crest cells colonize the gut rostro-caudally in early embryogenesis to give rise to the enteric nervous system, the “second brain”. Migration defects cause colonic aganglionosis at birth, a pathology known as Hirschsprung disease. Using a mouse expressing GCaMP in neural crest cells, we discovered that enteric neural crest cells display spontaneous calcium activity, that is dependent on the vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin 3 and its receptor EDNRB, and is generated by the opening of chloride and T-type calcium channels. We found that Ca2+ activity is necessary for colonization of the intestine, and that it promotes migration by generating cell-matrix contractile force. We conclude that neural crest cells can be viewed, at least in the gut, as tiny muscles that contract and crawl in response to vasoconstrictor peptides. In the second part of my talk, I will present results on the biomechanical properties of the adult enteric nervous system, which we have recently found to be 10 times stiffer than brain (central nervous system) tissue.

Please contact Clément Ricard if you want to make an appointment with Nicolas Chevalier