RET Signaling Persists in the Adult Intestine and Stimulates Motility by Limiting PYY Release From Enteroendocrine Cells

RET tyrosine kinase is necessary for enteric nervous system development. Loss-of-function RET mutations cause Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), in which infants are born with aganglionic bowel. Despite surgical correction, patients with HSCR often experience chronic defecatory dysfunction and enterocolitis, suggesting that RET is important after development. To test this hypothesis, we determined the location of postnatal RET and its significance in gastrointestinal (GI) motility.