The sympathies of the body: functional organization and neuronal differentiation in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system

Cell Tissue Res. 2021 Dec;386(3):455-475. doi: 10.1007/s00441-021-03548-y. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Abstract

During the last 30 years, our understanding of the development and diversification of postganglionic sympathetic neurons has dramatically increased. In parallel, the list of target structures has been critically extended from the cardiovascular system and selected glandular structures to metabolically relevant tissues such as white and brown adipose tissue, lymphoid tissues, bone, and bone marrow. A critical question now emerges for the integration of the diverse sympathetic neuron classes into neural circuits specific for these different target tissues to achieve the homeostatic regulation of the physiological ends affected.

Keywords: Adiposity; Bone marrow; Cholinergic; Heartrate; Hydromineral; Hypertension; Immune status; Noradrenergic; Skeletal health; Synaptic organizer; Thermogenesis; Transdifferentiation.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Humans
  • Neural Pathways / physiology*
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Sympathetic Nervous System / physiology*