During development of the enteric nervous system, a subpopulation of enteric neuron precursors transiently expresses catecholaminergic properties. The progeny of these transiently catecholaminergic (TC) cells have not been fully characterized.

We combined in vivo Cre‐lox‐based genetic fate‐mapping with phenotypic analysis to fate‐map enteric neuron subtypes arising from tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)‐expressing cells.

Less than 3% of the total (Hu⁺) neurons in the myenteric plexus of the small intestine of adult mice are generated from transiently TH‐expressing cells. Around 50% of the neurons generated from transiently TH‐expressing cells are calbindin neurons, but their progeny also include calretinin, neurofilament‐M, and serotonin neurons. However, only 30% of the serotonin neurons and small subpopulations (<10%) of the calbindin, calretinin, and neurofilament‐M neurons are generated from TH‐expressing cells; only 0.2% of nitric oxide synthase neurons arise from TH‐expressing cells.

Transiently, catecholaminergic cells give rise to subpopulations of multiple enteric neuron subtypes, but the majority of each of the neuron subtypes arises from non‐TC cells.