751
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Abstract
Recent advances have clarified how the brain detects CO2 to regulate breathing (central respiratory chemoreception). These mechanisms are reviewed and their significance is presented in the general context of CO2/pH homeostasis through breathing. At rest, respiratory chemoreflexes initiated at peripheral and central sites mediate rapid stabilization of arterial PCO2 and pH. Specific brainstem neurons (e.g., retrotrapezoid nucleus, RTN; serotonergic) are activated by PCO2 and stimulate breathing. RTN neurons detect CO2 via intrinsic proton receptors (TASK-2, GPR4), synaptic input from peripheral chemoreceptors and signals from astrocytes. Respiratory chemoreflexes are arousal state dependent whereas chemoreceptor stimulation produces arousal. When abnormal, these interactions lead to sleep-disordered breathing. During exercise, central command and reflexes from exercising muscles produce the breathing stimulation required to maintain arterial PCO2 and pH despite elevated metabolic activity. The neural circuits underlying central command and muscle afferent control of breathing remain elusive and represent a fertile area for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice G Guyenet
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA.
| | - Douglas A Bayliss
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA
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752
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Quindlen JC, Lai VK, Barocas VH. Multiscale Mechanical Model of the Pacinian Corpuscle Shows Depth and Anisotropy Contribute to the Receptor's Characteristic Response to Indentation. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004370. [PMID: 26390130 PMCID: PMC4577116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous mechanoreceptors transduce different tactile stimuli into neural signals that produce distinct sensations of touch. The Pacinian corpuscle (PC), a cutaneous mechanoreceptor located deep within the dermis of the skin, detects high frequency vibrations that occur within its large receptive field. The PC is comprised of lamellae that surround the nerve fiber at its core. We hypothesized that a layered, anisotropic structure, embedded deep within the skin, would produce the nonlinear strain transmission and low spatial sensitivity characteristic of the PC. A multiscale finite-element model was used to model the equilibrium response of the PC to indentation. The first simulation considered an isolated PC with fiber networks aligned with the PC's surface. The PC was subjected to a 10 μm indentation by a 250 μm diameter indenter. The multiscale model captured the nonlinear strain transmission through the PC, predicting decreased compressive strain with proximity to the receptor's core, as seen experimentally by others. The second set of simulations considered a single PC embedded epidermally (shallow) or dermally (deep) to model the PC's location within the skin. The embedded models were subjected to 10 μm indentations at a series of locations on the surface of the skin. Strain along the long axis of the PC was calculated after indentation to simulate stretch along the nerve fiber at the center of the PC. Receptive fields for the epidermis and dermis models were constructed by mapping the long-axis strain after indentation at each point on the surface of the skin mesh. The dermis model resulted in a larger receptive field, as the calculated strain showed less indenter location dependence than in the epidermis model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C. Quindlen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Victor K. Lai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Victor H. Barocas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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753
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Genç B, Lagrimas AKB, Kuru P, Hess R, Tu MW, Menichella DM, Miller RJ, Paller AS, Özdinler PH. Visualization of Sensory Neurons and Their Projections in an Upper Motor Neuron Reporter Line. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26222784 PMCID: PMC4519325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Visualization of peripheral nervous system axons and cell bodies is important to understand their development, target recognition, and integration into complex circuitries. Numerous studies have used protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 [a.k.a. ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1)] expression as a marker to label sensory neurons and their axons. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression, under the control of UCHL1 promoter, is stable and long lasting in the UCHL1-eGFP reporter line. In addition to the genetic labeling of corticospinal motor neurons in the motor cortex and degeneration-resistant spinal motor neurons in the spinal cord, here we report that neurons of the peripheral nervous system are also fluorescently labeled in the UCHL1-eGFP reporter line. eGFP expression is turned on at embryonic ages and lasts through adulthood, allowing detailed studies of cell bodies, axons and target innervation patterns of all sensory neurons in vivo. In addition, visualization of both the sensory and the motor neurons in the same animal offers many advantages. In this report, we used UCHL1-eGFP reporter line in two different disease paradigms: diabetes and motor neuron disease. eGFP expression in sensory axons helped determine changes in epidermal nerve fiber density in a high-fat diet induced diabetes model. Our findings corroborate previous studies, and suggest that more than five months is required for significant skin denervation. Crossing UCHL1-eGFP with hSOD1G93A mice generated hSOD1G93A-UeGFP reporter line of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and revealed sensory nervous system defects, especially towards disease end-stage. Our studies not only emphasize the complexity of the disease in ALS, but also reveal that UCHL1-eGFP reporter line would be a valuable tool to visualize and study various aspects of sensory nervous system development and degeneration in the context of numerous diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barış Genç
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Amiko Krisa Bunag Lagrimas
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Pınar Kuru
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Robert Hess
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Michael William Tu
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Daniela Maria Menichella
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Richard J. Miller
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Amy S. Paller
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Departments of Dermatology and Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Skin Disease Research Center, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - P. Hande Özdinler
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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754
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Gresset A, Coulpier F, Gerschenfeld G, Jourdon A, Matesic G, Richard L, Vallat JM, Charnay P, Topilko P. Boundary Caps Give Rise to Neurogenic Stem Cells and Terminal Glia in the Skin. Stem Cell Reports 2015. [PMID: 26212662 PMCID: PMC4618659 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While neurogenic stem cells have been identified in rodent and human skin, their manipulation and further characterization are hampered by a lack of specific markers. Here, we perform genetic tracing of the progeny of boundary cap (BC) cells, a neural-crest-derived cell population localized at peripheral nerve entry/exit points. We show that BC derivatives migrate along peripheral nerves to reach the skin, where they give rise to terminal glia associated with dermal nerve endings. Dermal BC derivatives also include cells that self-renew in sphere culture and have broad in vitro differentiation potential. Upon transplantation into adult mouse dorsal root ganglia, skin BC derivatives efficiently differentiate into various types of mature sensory neurons. Together, this work establishes the embryonic origin, pathway of migration, and in vivo neurogenic potential of a major component of skin stem-like cells. It provides genetic tools to study and manipulate this population of high interest for medical applications. Boundary cap cells give rise to all types of sensory neurons in the developing DRG BC derivatives migrate along peripheral nerves to reach the trunk skin BC cell progeny include glia associated with nerve endings Dermal BC-derived stem cells possess powerful in vivo neurogenic potential
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Gresset
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), and INSERM U1024, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8197, Paris 75005, France
| | - Fanny Coulpier
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), and INSERM U1024, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8197, Paris 75005, France
| | - Gaspard Gerschenfeld
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), and INSERM U1024, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8197, Paris 75005, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, IFD, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Alexandre Jourdon
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), and INSERM U1024, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8197, Paris 75005, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, IFD, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Graziella Matesic
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), and INSERM U1024, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8197, Paris 75005, France
| | - Laurence Richard
- National Reference Centre "Rare Peripheral Neuropathies" Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Jean-Michel Vallat
- National Reference Centre "Rare Peripheral Neuropathies" Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Patrick Charnay
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), and INSERM U1024, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8197, Paris 75005, France.
| | - Piotr Topilko
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), and INSERM U1024, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8197, Paris 75005, France
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755
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Chou TS, Bucci LD, Krichmar JL. Learning touch preferences with a tactile robot using dopamine modulated STDP in a model of insular cortex. Front Neurorobot 2015; 9:6. [PMID: 26257639 PMCID: PMC4510776 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2015.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurorobots enable researchers to study how behaviors are produced by neural mechanisms in an uncertain, noisy, real-world environment. To investigate how the somatosensory system processes noisy, real-world touch inputs, we introduce a neurorobot called CARL-SJR, which has a full-body tactile sensory area. The design of CARL-SJR is such that it encourages people to communicate with it through gentle touch. CARL-SJR provides feedback to users by displaying bright colors on its surface. In the present study, we show that CARL-SJR is capable of learning associations between conditioned stimuli (CS; a color pattern on its surface) and unconditioned stimuli (US; a preferred touch pattern) by applying a spiking neural network (SNN) with neurobiologically inspired plasticity. Specifically, we modeled the primary somatosensory cortex, prefrontal cortex, striatum, and the insular cortex, which is important for hedonic touch, to process noisy data generated directly from CARL-SJR's tactile sensory area. To facilitate learning, we applied dopamine-modulated Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) to our simulated prefrontal cortex, striatum, and insular cortex. To cope with noisy, varying inputs, the SNN was tuned to produce traveling waves of activity that carried spatiotemporal information. Despite the noisy tactile sensors, spike trains, and variations in subject hand swipes, the learning was quite robust. Further, insular cortex activities in the incremental pathway of dopaminergic reward system allowed us to control CARL-SJR's preference for touch direction without heavily pre-processed inputs. The emerged behaviors we found in this model match animal's behaviors wherein they prefer touch in particular areas and directions. Thus, the results in this paper could serve as an explanation on the underlying neural mechanisms for developing tactile preferences and hedonic touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Shuo Chou
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Liam D Bucci
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Krichmar
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA ; Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
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756
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Aboualizadeh E, Mattson EC, O'Hara CL, Smith AK, Stucky CL, Hirschmugl CJ. Cold shock induces apoptosis of dorsal root ganglion neurons plated on infrared windows. Analyst 2015; 140:4046-56. [PMID: 26000346 PMCID: PMC4536072 DOI: 10.1039/c5an00729a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The chemical status of live sensory neurons is accessible with infrared microspectroscopy of appropriately prepared cells. In this paper, individual dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons have been prepared with two different protocols, and plated on glass cover slips, BaF2 and CaF2 substrates. The first protocol exposes the intact DRGs to 4 °C for between 20-30 minutes before dissociating individual neurons and plating 2 hours later. The second protocol maintains the neurons at 23 °C for the entire duration of the sample preparation. The visual appearance of the neurons is similar. The viability was assessed by means of trypan blue exclusion method to determine the viability of the neurons. The neurons prepared under the first protocol (cold exposure) and plated on BaF2 reveal a distinct chemical signature and chemical distribution that is different from the other sample preparations described in the paper. Importantly, results for other sample preparation methods, using various substrates and temperature protocols, when compared across the overlapping spectral bandwidth, present normal chemical distribution within the neurons. The unusual chemically specific spatial variation is dominated by a lack of protein and carbohydrates in the center of the neurons and signatures of unraveling DNA are detected. We suggest that cold shock leads to apoptosis of DRGs, followed by osmotic stress originating from ion gradients across the cell membrane leading to cell lysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebrahim Aboualizadeh
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53211 USA.
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757
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Ackerley R, Kavounoudias A. The role of tactile afference in shaping motor behaviour and implications for prosthetic innovation. Neuropsychologia 2015; 79:192-205. [PMID: 26102191 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The present review focusses on how tactile somatosensory afference is encoded and processed, and how this information is interpreted and acted upon in terms of motor control. We relate the fundamental workings of the sensorimotor system to the rehabilitation of amputees using modern prosthetic interventions. Our sense of touch is central to our everyday lives, from allowing us to manipulate objects accurately to giving us a sense of self-embodiment. There are a variety of specialised cutaneous mechanoreceptive afferents, which differ in terms of type and density according to the skin site. In humans, there is a dense innervation of our hands, which is reflected in their vast over-representation in somatosensory and motor cortical areas. We review the accumulated evidence from animal and human studies about the precise interplay between the somatosensory and motor systems, which is highly integrated in many brain areas and often not separable. The glabrous hand skin provides exquisite, discriminative detail about touch, which is useful for refining movements. When these signals are disrupted, such as through injury or amputation, the consequences are considerable. The development of sensory feedback in prosthetics offers a promising avenue for the full integration of a missing body part. Real-time touch feedback from motor intentions aids in grip control and the ability to distinguish different surfaces, even introducing the possibility of pleasure in artificial touch. Thus, our knowledge from fundamental research into sensorimotor interactions should be used to develop more realistic and integrative prostheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle Ackerley
- Department of Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden; Laboratoire Neurosciences Intégratives et Adaptatives (UMR 7260), Aix Marseille Université - CNRS, Marseille, France.
| | - Anne Kavounoudias
- Laboratoire Neurosciences Intégratives et Adaptatives (UMR 7260), Aix Marseille Université - CNRS, Marseille, France
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758
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Walsh CM, Bautista DM, Lumpkin EA. Mammalian touch catches up. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015; 34:133-9. [PMID: 26100741 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An assortment of touch receptors innervate the skin and encode different tactile features of the environment. Compared with invertebrate touch and other sensory systems, our understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of mammalian touch lags behind. Two recent breakthroughs have accelerated progress. First, an arsenal of cell-type-specific molecular markers allowed the functional and anatomical properties of sensory neurons to be matched, thereby unraveling a cellular code for touch. Such markers have also revealed key roles of non-neuronal cell types, such as Merkel cells and keratinocytes, in touch reception. Second, the discovery of Piezo genes as a new family of mechanically activated channels has fueled the discovery of molecular mechanisms that mediate and mechanotransduction in mammalian touch receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn M Walsh
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Diana M Bautista
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Ellen A Lumpkin
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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759
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Jönsson EH, Backlund Wasling H, Wagnbeck V, Dimitriadis M, Georgiadis JR, Olausson H, Croy I. Unmyelinated Tactile Cutaneous Nerves Signal Erotic Sensations. J Sex Med 2015; 12:1338-45. [DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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760
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Abstract
A trio of papers has resolved an outstanding controversy regarding the function of Merkel cells and their afferent nerve fiber partners. Merkel cells sense mechanical stimuli (through Piezo2), fire action potentials, and are sufficient to activate downstream sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Vásquez
- Department of Physiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Gregory Scherrer
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Miriam B Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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761
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Ganley RP, Iwagaki N, del Rio P, Baseer N, Dickie AC, Boyle KA, Polgár E, Watanabe M, Abraira VE, Zimmerman A, Riddell JS, Todd AJ. Inhibitory Interneurons That Express GFP in the PrP-GFP Mouse Spinal Cord Are Morphologically Heterogeneous, Innervated by Several Classes of Primary Afferent and Include Lamina I Projection Neurons among Their Postsynaptic Targets. J Neurosci 2015; 35:7626-42. [PMID: 25972186 PMCID: PMC4429159 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0406-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord contains numerous inhibitory interneurons, which regulate the transmission of information perceived as touch, pain, or itch. Despite the importance of these cells, our understanding of their roles in the neuronal circuitry is limited by the difficulty in identifying functional populations. One group that has been identified and characterized consists of cells in the mouse that express green fluorescent protein (GFP) under control of the prion protein (PrP) promoter. Previous reports suggested that PrP-GFP cells belonged to a single morphological class (central cells), received inputs exclusively from unmyelinated primary afferents, and had axons that remained in lamina II. However, we recently reported that the PrP-GFP cells expressed neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and/or galanin, and it has been shown that nNOS-expressing cells are more diverse in their morphology and synaptic connections. We therefore used a combined electrophysiological, pharmacological, and anatomical approach to reexamine the PrP-GFP cells. We provide evidence that they are morphologically diverse (corresponding to "unclassified" cells) and receive synaptic input from a variety of primary afferents, with convergence onto individual cells. We also show that their axons project into adjacent laminae and that they target putative projection neurons in lamina I. This indicates that the neuronal circuitry involving PrP-GFP cells is more complex than previously recognized, and suggests that they are likely to have several distinct roles in regulating the flow of somatosensory information through the dorsal horn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Ganley
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Noboru Iwagaki
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia del Rio
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Najma Baseer
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Allen C Dickie
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Kieran A Boyle
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Erika Polgár
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan, and
| | - Victoria E Abraira
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Amanda Zimmerman
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - John S Riddell
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom,
| | - Andrew J Todd
- Spinal Cord Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom,
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762
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Marshall KL, Chadha M, deSouza LA, Sterbing-D'Angelo SJ, Moss CF, Lumpkin EA. Somatosensory substrates of flight control in bats. Cell Rep 2015; 11:851-858. [PMID: 25937277 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Flight maneuvers require rapid sensory integration to generate adaptive motor output. Bats achieve remarkable agility with modified forelimbs that serve as airfoils while retaining capacity for object manipulation. Wing sensory inputs provide behaviorally relevant information to guide flight; however, components of wing sensory-motor circuits have not been analyzed. Here, we elucidate the organization of wing innervation in an insectivore, the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. We demonstrate that wing sensory innervation differs from other vertebrate forelimbs, revealing a peripheral basis for the atypical topographic organization reported for bat somatosensory nuclei. Furthermore, the wing is innervated by an unusual complement of sensory neurons poised to report airflow and touch. Finally, we report that cortical neurons encode tactile and airflow inputs with sparse activity patterns. Together, our findings identify neural substrates of somatosensation in the bat wing and imply that evolutionary pressures giving rise to mammalian flight led to unusual sensorimotor projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara L Marshall
- Departments of Dermatology and Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mohit Chadha
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Laura A deSouza
- Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Cynthia F Moss
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Ellen A Lumpkin
- Departments of Dermatology and Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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763
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Chang RB, Strochlic DE, Williams EK, Umans BD, Liberles SD. Vagal Sensory Neuron Subtypes that Differentially Control Breathing. Cell 2015; 161:622-633. [PMID: 25892222 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Breathing is essential for survival and under precise neural control. The vagus nerve is a major conduit between lung and brain required for normal respiration. Here, we identify two populations of mouse vagus nerve afferents (P2ry1, Npy2r), each a few hundred neurons, that exert powerful and opposing effects on breathing. Genetically guided anatomical mapping revealed that these neurons densely innervate the lung and send long-range projections to different brainstem targets. Npy2r neurons are largely slow-conducting C fibers, while P2ry1 neurons are largely fast-conducting A fibers that contact pulmonary endocrine cells (neuroepithelial bodies). Optogenetic stimulation of P2ry1 neurons acutely silences respiration, trapping animals in exhalation, while stimulating Npy2r neurons causes rapid, shallow breathing. Activating P2ry1 neurons did not impact heart rate or gastric pressure, other autonomic functions under vagal control. Thus, the vagus nerve contains intermingled sensory neurons constituting genetically definable labeled lines with different anatomical connections and physiological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui B Chang
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David E Strochlic
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Erika K Williams
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Benjamin D Umans
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephen D Liberles
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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764
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The PDZ-domain protein Whirlin facilitates mechanosensory signaling in mammalian proprioceptors. J Neurosci 2015; 35:3073-84. [PMID: 25698744 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3699-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanoreception is an essential feature of many sensory modalities. Nevertheless, the mechanisms that govern the conversion of a mechanical force to distinct patterns of action potentials remain poorly understood. Proprioceptive mechanoreceptors reside in skeletal muscle and inform the nervous system of the position of body and limbs in space. We show here that Whirlin/Deafness autosomal recessive 31 (DFNB31), a PDZ-scaffold protein involved in vestibular and auditory hair cell transduction, is also expressed by proprioceptive sensory neurons (pSNs) in dorsal root ganglia in mice. Whirlin localizes to the peripheral sensory endings of pSNs and facilitates pSN afferent firing in response to muscle stretch. The requirement of Whirlin in both proprioceptors and hair cells suggests that accessory mechanosensory signaling molecules define common features of mechanoreceptive processing across sensory systems.
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765
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Whiteley SJ, Knutsen PM, Matthews DW, Kleinfeld D. Deflection of a vibrissa leads to a gradient of strain across mechanoreceptors in a mystacial follicle. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:138-45. [PMID: 25855692 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00179.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents use their vibrissae to detect and discriminate tactile features during active exploration. The site of mechanical transduction in the vibrissa sensorimotor system is the follicle sinus complex and its associated vibrissa. We study the mechanics within the ring sinus (RS) of the follicle in an ex vivo preparation of the mouse mystacial pad. The sinus region has a relatively dense representation of Merkel mechanoreceptors and longitudinal lanceolate endings. Two-photon laser-scanning microscopy was used to visualize labeled cell nuclei in an ∼ 100-nl vol before and after passive deflection of a vibrissa, which results in localized displacements of the mechanoreceptor cells, primarily in the radial and polar directions about the vibrissa. These displacements are used to compute the strain field across the follicle in response to the deflection. We observe compression in the lower region of the RS, whereas dilation, with lower magnitude, occurs in the upper region, with volumetric strain ΔV/V ∼ 0.01 for a 10° deflection. The extrapolated strain for a 0.1° deflection, the minimum angle that is reported to initiate a spike by primary neurons, corresponds to the minimum strain that activates Piezo2 mechanoreceptor channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Whiteley
- Department of Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; and
| | - Per M Knutsen
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; and
| | - David W Matthews
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; and
| | - David Kleinfeld
- Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; and Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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766
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Taylor-Clark TE, Wu KY, Thompson JA, Yang K, Bahia PK, Ajmo JM. Thy1.2 YFP-16 transgenic mouse labels a subset of large-diameter sensory neurons that lack TRPV1 expression. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119538. [PMID: 25746468 PMCID: PMC4351979 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Thy1.2 YFP-16 mouse expresses yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) in specific subsets of peripheral and central neurons. The original characterization of this model suggested that YFP was expressed in all sensory neurons, and this model has been subsequently used to study sensory nerve structure and function. Here, we have characterized the expression of YFP in the sensory ganglia (DRG, trigeminal and vagal) of the Thy1.2 YFP-16 mouse, using biochemical, functional and anatomical analyses. Despite previous reports, we found that YFP was only expressed in approximately half of DRG and trigeminal neurons and less than 10% of vagal neurons. YFP-expression was only found in medium and large-diameter neurons that expressed neurofilament but not TRPV1. YFP-expressing neurons failed to respond to selective agonists for TRPV1, P2X(2/3 and TRPM8 channels in Ca2+ imaging assays. Confocal analysis of glabrous skin, hairy skin of the back and ear and skeletal muscle indicated that YFP was expressed in some peripheral terminals with structures consistent with their presumed non-nociceptive nature. In summary, the Thy1.2 YFP-16 mouse expresses robust YFP expression in only a subset of sensory neurons. But this mouse model is not suitable for the study of nociceptive nerves or the function of such nerves in pain and neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. Taylor-Clark
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kevin Y. Wu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Julie-Ann Thompson
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kiseok Yang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Parmvir K. Bahia
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Ajmo
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
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767
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Reynders A, Mantilleri A, Malapert P, Rialle S, Nidelet S, Laffray S, Beurrier C, Bourinet E, Moqrich A. Transcriptional Profiling of Cutaneous MRGPRD Free Nerve Endings and C-LTMRs. Cell Rep 2015; 10:1007-1019. [PMID: 25683706 PMCID: PMC4542317 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Revised: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous C-unmyelinated MRGPRD+ free nerve endings and C-LTMRs innervating hair follicles convey two opposite aspects of touch sensation: a sensation of pain and a sensation of pleasant touch. The molecular mechanisms underlying these diametrically opposite functions are unknown. Here, we used a mouse model that genetically marks C-LTMRs and MRGPRD+ neurons in combination with fluorescent cell surface labeling, flow cytometry, and RNA deep-sequencing technology (RNA-seq). Cluster analysis of RNA-seq profiles of the purified neuronal subsets revealed 486 and 549 genes differentially expressed in MRGPRD-expressing neurons and C-LTMRs, respectively. We validated 48 MRGPD- and 68 C-LTMRs-enriched genes using a triple-staining approach, and the Cav3.3 channel, found to be exclusively expressed in C-LTMRs, was validated using electrophysiology. Our study greatly expands the molecular characterization of C-LTMRs and suggests that this particular population of neurons shares some molecular features with Aβ and Aδ low-threshold mechanoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Reynders
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Annabelle Mantilleri
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Pascale Malapert
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Stéphanie Rialle
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, UMR 5203, CNRS, U1191, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Sabine Nidelet
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, UMR 5203, CNRS, U1191, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Sophie Laffray
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, UMR 5203, CNRS, U1191, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Corinne Beurrier
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Emmanuel Bourinet
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, UMR 5203, CNRS, U1191, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 05, France.
| | - Aziz Moqrich
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France.
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768
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Watanabe N, Piché M, Hotta H. Types of skin afferent fibers and spinal opioid receptors that contribute to touch-induced inhibition of heart rate changes evoked by noxious cutaneous heat stimulation. Mol Pain 2015; 11:4. [PMID: 25884917 PMCID: PMC4335417 DOI: 10.1186/s12990-015-0001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In anesthetized rats and conscious humans, a gentle touch using a soft disc covered with microcones (with a texture similar to that of a finger), but not with a flat disc, inhibits nociceptive somatocardiac reflexes. Such an inhibitory effect is most reliably evoked when touch is applied to the skin ipsilateral and closest to nociceptive inputs. However, the mechanism of this inhibition is not completely elucidated. We aimed to clarify the types of cutaneous afferent fibers and spinal opioid receptors that contribute to antinociceptive effects of microcone touch. Results The present study comprised two experiments with urethane-anesthetized rats. In the first experiment, unitary activity of skin afferent fibers was recorded from the saphenous nerve, and responses to a 10-min touch using a microcone disc and a flat disc (control) were compared. Greater discharge rate during microcone touch was observed in low-threshold mechanoreceptive Aδ and C afferent units, whereas many Aβ afferents responded similarly to the two types of touch. In the second experiment, the effect of an intrathecal injection of opioid receptor antagonists on the inhibitory effects of microcone touch on heart rate responses to noxious heat stimulation was examined. The magnitude of the heart rate response was significantly reduced by microcone touch in rats that received saline or naltrindole (δ-opioid receptor antagonist) injections. However, such an inhibition was not observed in rats that received naloxone (non-selective opioid receptor antagonist) or Phe-Cys-Tyr-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP; μ-opioid receptor antagonist) injections. Conclusions Microcone touch induced greater responses of low-threshold mechanoreceptive Aδ and C afferent units than control touch. The antinociceptive effect of microcone touch was abolished by intrathecal injection of μ-opioid receptor antagonist. These results suggest that excitation of low-threshold mechanoreceptive Aδ and C afferents produces the release of endogenous μ-opioid ligands in the spinal cord, resulting in the inhibition of nociceptive transmission that contributes to somatocardiac reflexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhiro Watanabe
- Department of Autonomic Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakaecho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
| | - Mathieu Piché
- Department of Chiropractic, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boul. Des Forges, C.P 500, Trois-Rivières, Québec, G9A 5H7, Canada.
| | - Harumi Hotta
- Department of Autonomic Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakaecho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
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769
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Bui TV, Brownstone RM. Sensory-evoked perturbations of locomotor activity by sparse sensory input: a computational study. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:2824-39. [PMID: 25673740 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00866.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory inputs from muscle, cutaneous, and joint afferents project to the spinal cord, where they are able to affect ongoing locomotor activity. Activation of sensory input can initiate or prolong bouts of locomotor activity depending on the identity of the sensory afferent activated and the timing of the activation within the locomotor cycle. However, the mechanisms by which afferent activity modifies locomotor rhythm and the distribution of sensory afferents to the spinal locomotor networks have not been determined. Considering the many sources of sensory inputs to the spinal cord, determining this distribution would provide insights into how sensory inputs are integrated to adjust ongoing locomotor activity. We asked whether a sparsely distributed set of sensory inputs could modify ongoing locomotor activity. To address this question, several computational models of locomotor central pattern generators (CPGs) that were mechanistically diverse and generated locomotor-like rhythmic activity were developed. We show that sensory inputs restricted to a small subset of the network neurons can perturb locomotor activity in the same manner as seen experimentally. Furthermore, we show that an architecture with sparse sensory input improves the capacity to gate sensory information by selectively modulating sensory channels. These data demonstrate that sensory input to rhythm-generating networks need not be extensively distributed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan V Bui
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Neural Dynamics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Robert M Brownstone
- Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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770
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Bourane S, Grossmann KS, Britz O, Dalet A, Del Barrio MG, Stam FJ, Garcia-Campmany L, Koch S, Goulding M. Identification of a spinal circuit for light touch and fine motor control. Cell 2015; 160:503-15. [PMID: 25635458 PMCID: PMC4431637 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Sensory circuits in the dorsal spinal cord integrate and transmit multiple cutaneous sensory modalities including the sense of light touch. Here, we identify a population of excitatory interneurons (INs) in the dorsal horn that are important for transmitting innocuous light touch sensation. These neurons express the ROR alpha (RORα) nuclear orphan receptor and are selectively innervated by cutaneous low threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMs). Targeted removal of RORα INs in the dorsal spinal cord leads to a marked reduction in behavioral responsiveness to light touch without affecting responses to noxious and itch stimuli. RORα IN-deficient mice also display a selective deficit in corrective foot movements. This phenotype, together with our demonstration that the RORα INs are innervated by corticospinal and vestibulospinal projection neurons, argues that the RORα INs direct corrective reflex movements by integrating touch information with descending motor commands from the cortex and cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steeve Bourane
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Katja S Grossmann
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Olivier Britz
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Antoine Dalet
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Marta Garcia Del Barrio
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Floor J Stam
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lidia Garcia-Campmany
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Stephanie Koch
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Martyn Goulding
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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771
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Newbern JM. Molecular control of the neural crest and peripheral nervous system development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2015; 111:201-31. [PMID: 25662262 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A transient and unique population of multipotent stem cells, known as neural crest cells (NCCs), generate a bewildering array of cell types during vertebrate development. An attractive model among developmental biologists, the study of NCC biology has provided a wealth of knowledge regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms important for embryogenesis. Studies in numerous species have defined how distinct phases of NCC specification, proliferation, migration, and survival contribute to the formation of multiple functionally distinct organ systems. NCC contributions to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are well known. Critical developmental processes have been defined that provide outstanding models for understanding how extracellular stimuli, cell-cell interactions, and transcriptional networks cooperate to direct cellular diversification and PNS morphogenesis. Dissecting the complex extracellular and intracellular mechanisms that mediate the formation of the PNS from NCCs may have important therapeutic implications for neurocristopathies, neuropathies, and certain forms of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
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772
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François A, Schüetter N, Laffray S, Sanguesa J, Pizzoccaro A, Dubel S, Mantilleri A, Nargeot J, Noël J, Wood JN, Moqrich A, Pongs O, Bourinet E. The Low-Threshold Calcium Channel Cav3.2 Determines Low-Threshold Mechanoreceptor Function. Cell Rep 2015; 10:370-382. [PMID: 25600872 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.12.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The T-type calcium channel Cav3.2 emerges as a key regulator of sensory functions, but its expression pattern within primary afferent neurons and its contribution to modality-specific signaling remain obscure. Here, we elucidate this issue using a unique knockin/flox mouse strain wherein Cav3.2 is replaced by a functional Cav3.2-surface-ecliptic GFP fusion. We demonstrate that Cav3.2 is a selective marker of two major low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs), Aδ- and C-LTMRs, innervating the most abundant skin hair follicles. The presence of Cav3.2 along LTMR-fiber trajectories is consistent with critical roles at multiple sites, setting their strong excitability. Strikingly, the C-LTMR-specific knockout uncovers that Cav3.2 regulates light-touch perception and noxious mechanical cold and chemical sensations and is essential to build up that debilitates allodynic symptoms of neuropathic pain, a mechanism thought to be entirely A-LTMR specific. Collectively, our findings support a fundamental role for Cav3.2 in touch/pain pathophysiology, validating their critic pharmacological relevance to relieve mechanical and cold allodynia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaury François
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; CNRS UMR5203, 34095 Montpellier, France; INSERM, U661, 34095 Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Niklas Schüetter
- Department of Physiology, University of Saarland, School of Medicine, Kirrberger Straße 1, 66424 Homburg, Germany
| | - Sophie Laffray
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; CNRS UMR5203, 34095 Montpellier, France; INSERM, U661, 34095 Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Juan Sanguesa
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; CNRS UMR5203, 34095 Montpellier, France; INSERM, U661, 34095 Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Anne Pizzoccaro
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; CNRS UMR5203, 34095 Montpellier, France; INSERM, U661, 34095 Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Stefan Dubel
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; CNRS UMR5203, 34095 Montpellier, France; INSERM, U661, 34095 Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Annabelle Mantilleri
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Joel Nargeot
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; CNRS UMR5203, 34095 Montpellier, France; INSERM, U661, 34095 Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Jacques Noël
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR7275 CNRS, 660 route des lucioles, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - John N Wood
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Aziz Moqrich
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Olaf Pongs
- Department of Physiology, University of Saarland, School of Medicine, Kirrberger Straße 1, 66424 Homburg, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Bourinet
- Laboratories of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, France; CNRS UMR5203, 34095 Montpellier, France; INSERM, U661, 34095 Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France.
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773
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Ranade SS, Woo SH, Dubin AE, Moshourab RA, Wetzel C, Petrus M, Mathur J, Bégay V, Coste B, Mainquist J, Wilson AJ, Francisco AG, Reddy K, Qiu Z, Wood JN, Lewin GR, Patapoutian A. Piezo2 is the major transducer of mechanical forces for touch sensation in mice. Nature 2015; 516:121-5. [PMID: 25471886 DOI: 10.1038/nature13980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 558] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The sense of touch provides critical information about our physical environment by transforming mechanical energy into electrical signals. It is postulated that mechanically activated cation channels initiate touch sensation, but the identity of these molecules in mammals has been elusive. Piezo2 is a rapidly adapting, mechanically activated ion channel expressed in a subset of sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglion and in cutaneous mechanoreceptors known as Merkel-cell-neurite complexes. It has been demonstrated that Merkel cells have a role in vertebrate mechanosensation using Piezo2, particularly in shaping the type of current sent by the innervating sensory neuron; however, major aspects of touch sensation remain intact without Merkel cell activity. Here we show that mice lacking Piezo2 in both adult sensory neurons and Merkel cells exhibit a profound loss of touch sensation. We precisely localize Piezo2 to the peripheral endings of a broad range of low-threshold mechanoreceptors that innervate both hairy and glabrous skin. Most rapidly adapting, mechanically activated currents in dorsal root ganglion neuronal cultures are absent in Piezo2 conditional knockout mice, and ex vivo skin nerve preparation studies show that the mechanosensitivity of low-threshold mechanoreceptors strongly depends on Piezo2. This cellular phenotype correlates with an unprecedented behavioural phenotype: an almost complete deficit in light-touch sensation in multiple behavioural assays, without affecting other somatosensory functions. Our results highlight that a single ion channel that displays rapidly adapting, mechanically activated currents in vitro is responsible for the mechanosensitivity of most low-threshold mechanoreceptor subtypes involved in innocuous touch sensation. Notably, we find that touch and pain sensation are separable, suggesting that as-yet-unknown mechanically activated ion channel(s) must account for noxious (painful) mechanosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev S Ranade
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Seung-Hyun Woo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Adrienne E Dubin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Rabih A Moshourab
- 1] Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13092 Berlin, Germany [2] Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt Operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte and Virchow-Klinikum Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustburgerplatz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane Wetzel
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13092 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matt Petrus
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Jayanti Mathur
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Valérie Bégay
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13092 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bertrand Coste
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - James Mainquist
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - A J Wilson
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Allain G Francisco
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Kritika Reddy
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Zhaozhu Qiu
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - John N Wood
- Molecular Nociception Group, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13092 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ardem Patapoutian
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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774
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Filingeri D, Havenith G. Human skin wetness perception: psychophysical and neurophysiological bases. Temperature (Austin) 2015; 2:86-104. [PMID: 27227008 PMCID: PMC4843859 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2015.1008878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to perceive thermal changes in the surrounding environment is critical for survival. However, sensing temperature is not the only factor among the cutaneous sensations to contribute to thermoregulatory responses in humans. Sensing skin wetness (i.e. hygrosensation) is also critical both for behavioral and autonomic adaptations. Although much has been done to define the biophysical role of skin wetness in contributing to thermal homeostasis, little is known on the neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning the ability to sense skin wetness. Humans are not provided with skin humidity receptors (i.e., hygroreceptors) and psychophysical studies have identified potential sensory cues (i.e. thermal and mechanosensory) which could contribute to sensing wetness. Recently, a neurophysiological model of human wetness sensitivity has been developed. In helping clarifying the peripheral and central neural mechanisms involved in sensing skin wetness, this model has provided evidence for the existence of a specific human hygrosensation strategy, which is underpinned by perceptual learning via sensory experience. Remarkably, this strategy seems to be shared by other hygroreceptor-lacking animals. However, questions remain on whether these sensory mechanisms are underpinned by specific neuromolecular pathways in humans. Although the first study on human wetness perception dates back to more than 100 years, it is surprising that the neurophysiological bases of such an important sensory feature have only recently started to be unveiled. Hence, to provide an overview of the current knowledge on human hygrosensation, along with potential directions for future research, this review will examine the psychophysical and neurophysiological bases of human skin wetness perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Filingeri
- Environmental Ergonomics Research Center; Loughborough Design School; Loughborough University; Loughborough, UK
| | - George Havenith
- Environmental Ergonomics Research Center; Loughborough Design School; Loughborough University; Loughborough, UK
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775
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Chiu IM, Barrett LB, Williams EK, Strochlic DE, Lee S, Weyer AD, Lou S, Bryman GS, Roberson DP, Ghasemlou N, Piccoli C, Ahat E, Wang V, Cobos EJ, Stucky CL, Ma Q, Liberles SD, Woolf CJ. Transcriptional profiling at whole population and single cell levels reveals somatosensory neuron molecular diversity. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 25525749 PMCID: PMC4383053 DOI: 10.7554/elife.04660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The somatosensory nervous system is critical for the organism's ability to respond to
mechanical, thermal, and nociceptive stimuli. Somatosensory neurons are functionally
and anatomically diverse but their molecular profiles are not well-defined. Here, we
used transcriptional profiling to analyze the detailed molecular signatures of dorsal
root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. We used two mouse reporter lines and surface IB4
labeling to purify three major non-overlapping classes of neurons: 1)
IB4+SNS-Cre/TdTomato+, 2)
IB4−SNS-Cre/TdTomato+, and 3)
Parv-Cre/TdTomato+ cells, encompassing the majority of
nociceptive, pruriceptive, and proprioceptive neurons. These neurons displayed
distinct expression patterns of ion channels, transcription factors, and GPCRs.
Highly parallel qRT-PCR analysis of 334 single neurons selected by membership of the
three populations demonstrated further diversity, with unbiased clustering analysis
identifying six distinct subgroups. These data significantly increase our knowledge
of the molecular identities of known DRG populations and uncover potentially novel
subsets, revealing the complexity and diversity of those neurons underlying
somatosensation. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04660.001 In the nervous system, a network of specialized neurons—known as the
somatosensory system—carries information about sensations including touch,
muscle position, temperature and pain. Distinct sets of somatosensory neurons are
thought to carry information about the different types of sensations. In young
animals, the precise switching on, or ‘expression’, of genes controls
the formation of the network of neurons. However, it is not known exactly which genes
are expressed in what types of neurons, where, or when. Here, Chiu et al. used a technique called flow cytometry using different fluorescent
markers to isolate a group of cells called Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) neurons in
mice. These neurons have long thread-like fibers that extend from the spinal cord to
the skin, muscles and joints all over the body. These fibers carry sensory
information to the spinal cord, where it can be relayed to the brain and processed.
The experiments compared three distinct types of DRG neuron and found that they
differed in their ability to send information to other cells. Chiu et al. analyzed the expression of all the genes in the three types of DRG
neurons. Each type of neuron had distinct groups of genes that were being expressed.
Also, several genes that are known to be important for sensation were expressed at
different levels in the different types of cells. Next, large numbers of single cells
were analyzed to find out the finer details about the three types of neuron. These
findings made it possible to further divide the DRG neurons into six distinct subsets
that matched previously known groups of somatosensory neurons, and also identified
new ones. Chiu et al.'s findings reveal the complexity and diversity of the neurons involved in
carrying information about sensations towards the brain. This is an important step in
classifying the nervous system, and uncovers many genes previously not linked to
sensation. The next challenges lie in understanding how the expression of these genes
in each type of neuron relates to their unique roles. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04660.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac M Chiu
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Lee B Barrett
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Erika K Williams
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - David E Strochlic
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Seungkyu Lee
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Andy D Weyer
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
| | - Shan Lou
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Gregory S Bryman
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - David P Roberson
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Nader Ghasemlou
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Cara Piccoli
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Ezgi Ahat
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Victor Wang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Enrique J Cobos
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Cheryl L Stucky
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
| | - Qiufu Ma
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Stephen D Liberles
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
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776
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Abstract
The skin is our largest sensory organ, transmitting pain, temperature, itch, and touch information to the central nervous system. Touch sensations are conveyed by distinct combinations of mechanosensory end organs and the low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) that innervate them. Here we explore the various structures underlying the diverse functions of cutaneous LTMR end organs. Beyond anchoring of LTMRs to the surrounding dermis and epidermis, recent evidence suggests that the non-neuronal components of end organs play an active role in signaling to LTMRs and may physically gate force-sensitive channels in these receptors. Combined with LTMR intrinsic properties, the balance of these factors comprises the response properties of mechanosensory neurons and, thus, the neural encoding of touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Zimmerman
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ling Bai
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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777
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Sartori P, Granger L, Lee CF, Horowitz JM. Thermodynamic costs of information processing in sensory adaptation. PLoS Comput Biol 2014; 10:e1003974. [PMID: 25503948 PMCID: PMC4263364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological sensory systems react to changes in their surroundings. They are characterized by fast response and slow adaptation to varying environmental cues. Insofar as sensory adaptive systems map environmental changes to changes of their internal degrees of freedom, they can be regarded as computational devices manipulating information. Landauer established that information is ultimately physical, and its manipulation subject to the entropic and energetic bounds of thermodynamics. Thus the fundamental costs of biological sensory adaptation can be elucidated by tracking how the information the system has about its environment is altered. These bounds are particularly relevant for small organisms, which unlike everyday computers, operate at very low energies. In this paper, we establish a general framework for the thermodynamics of information processing in sensing. With it, we quantify how during sensory adaptation information about the past is erased, while information about the present is gathered. This process produces entropy larger than the amount of old information erased and has an energetic cost bounded by the amount of new information written to memory. We apply these principles to the E. coli's chemotaxis pathway during binary ligand concentration changes. In this regime, we quantify the amount of information stored by each methyl group and show that receptors consume energy in the range of the information-theoretic minimum. Our work provides a basis for further inquiries into more complex phenomena, such as gradient sensing and frequency response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Sartori
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Léo Granger
- Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear and GISC, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Chiu Fan Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jordan M. Horowitz
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts at Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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778
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Kohyama
- National Food Research Institute; National Agriculture and Food Research Organization; Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8642 Japan
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779
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Schrenk-Siemens K, Wende H, Prato V, Song K, Rostock C, Loewer A, Utikal J, Lewin GR, Lechner SG, Siemens J. PIEZO2 is required for mechanotransduction in human stem cell–derived touch receptors. Nat Neurosci 2014; 18:10-6. [DOI: 10.1038/nn.3894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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780
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Woo SH, Lumpkin EA, Patapoutian A. Merkel cells and neurons keep in touch. Trends Cell Biol 2014; 25:74-81. [PMID: 25480024 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The Merkel cell-neurite complex is a unique vertebrate touch receptor comprising two distinct cell types in the skin. Its presence in touch-sensitive skin areas was recognized more than a century ago, but the functions of each cell type in sensory transduction have been unclear. Three recent studies demonstrate that Merkel cells are mechanosensitive cells that function in touch transduction via Piezo2. One study concludes that Merkel cells, rather than sensory neurons, are principal sites of mechanotransduction, whereas two other studies report that both Merkel cells and neurons encode mechanical inputs. Together, these studies settle a long-standing debate on whether or not Merkel cells are mechanosensory cells, and enable future investigations of how these skin cells communicate with neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Hyun Woo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ellen A Lumpkin
- Departments of Dermatology & Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Ardem Patapoutian
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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781
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Touch is a team effort: interplay of submodalities in cutaneous sensibility. Trends Neurosci 2014; 37:689-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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782
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Saccomandi P, Schena E, Oddo CM, Zollo L, Silvestri S, Guglielmelli E. Microfabricated tactile sensors for biomedical applications: a review. BIOSENSORS 2014; 4:422-48. [PMID: 25587432 PMCID: PMC4287711 DOI: 10.3390/bios4040422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Revised: 10/12/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
During the last decades, tactile sensors based on different sensing principles have been developed due to the growing interest in robotics and, mainly, in medical applications. Several technological solutions have been employed to design tactile sensors; in particular, solutions based on microfabrication present several attractive features. Microfabrication technologies allow for developing miniaturized sensors with good performance in terms of metrological properties (e.g., accuracy, sensitivity, low power consumption, and frequency response). Small size and good metrological properties heighten the potential role of tactile sensors in medicine, making them especially attractive to be integrated in smart interfaces and microsurgical tools. This paper provides an overview of microfabricated tactile sensors, focusing on the mean principles of sensing, i.e., piezoresistive, piezoelectric and capacitive sensors. These sensors are employed for measuring contact properties, in particular force and pressure, in three main medical fields, i.e., prosthetics and artificial skin, minimal access surgery and smart interfaces for biomechanical analysis. The working principles and the metrological properties of the most promising tactile, microfabricated sensors are analyzed, together with their application in medicine. Finally, the new emerging technologies in these fields are briefly described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Saccomandi
- Center for Integrated Research, Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome 21-00128, Italy; E-Mails: (P.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Emiliano Schena
- Center for Integrated Research, Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome 21-00128, Italy; E-Mails: (P.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Calogero Maria Oddo
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Polo Sant'Anna Valdera, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera (PI) 56025, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Loredana Zollo
- Center for Integrated Research, Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome 21-00128, Italy; E-Mails: (L.Z.); (E.G.)
| | - Sergio Silvestri
- Center for Integrated Research, Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome 21-00128, Italy; E-Mails: (P.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Eugenio Guglielmelli
- Center for Integrated Research, Laboratory of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome 21-00128, Italy; E-Mails: (L.Z.); (E.G.)
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783
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Hao J, Bonnet C, Amsalem M, Ruel J, Delmas P. Transduction and encoding sensory information by skin mechanoreceptors. Pflugers Arch 2014; 467:109-19. [PMID: 25416542 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-014-1651-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Physical contact with the external world occurs through specialized neural structures called mechanoreceptors. Cutaneous mechanoreceptors provide information to the central nervous system (CNS) about touch, pressure, vibration, and skin stretch. The physiological function of these mechanoreceptors is to convert physical forces into neuronal signals. Key questions concern the molecular identity of the mechanoelectric transducer channels and the mechanisms by which the physical parameters of the mechanical stimulus are encoded into patterns of action potentials (APs). Compelling data indicate that the biophysical traits of mechanosensitive channels combined with the collection of voltage-gated channels are essential to describe the nature of the stimulus. Recent research also points to a critical role of the auxiliary cell-nerve ending communication in encoding stimulus properties. This review describes the characteristics of ion channels responsible for translating mechanical stimuli into the neural codes that underlie touch perception and pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jizhe Hao
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Centre de Recherche en Neurobiologie et Neurophysiologie de Marseille, UMR 7286, CS80011, Bd Pierre Dramard, 13344, Marseille Cedex 15, France,
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784
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Bodranghien F, Martin C, Ansay C, Camut S, Busegnies Y, Manto M. The electronic counting arm movement test (eCAM test). Neurol Res 2014; 37:461-9. [PMID: 25413688 DOI: 10.1179/1743132814y.0000000461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
A novel transportable electronic platform aiming to characterize the performance of successive fast vertical visually guided pointing movements toward two fixed targets (eCAM test: electronic counting arm movement test) is described and one validation test is presented. This platform is based on an Arduino(®) micro-controller and a Processing(®) routine. It records both the pointing performance (number of clicks) and the elapsed time between two successive pointing movements. Using this novel platform, we studied the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied on the dominant upper limb in 15 healthy volunteers (mean age ± SD: 22.3 ± 4.3 years; 5 males/10 females). The following muscles were stimulated: flexor carpi radialis (FCR), extensor carpi radialis (ECR), biceps brachii (BB), and triceps brachii (TB). The intensities of the stimulation were 2 and 3 mA above the sensory threshold (ST). Movement times were lesser when performed against gravity and pointing performance improved with FES. We provide the first demonstration that low-intensity FES impacts on motor performances during successive vertical goal-directed pointing movements under visual guidance. The eCAM test is currently the sole electronic tool to assess quickly and easily the performances of successive vertical pointing movements. Future potential applications include, in particular, the follow-up of the effects of neurorehabilitation of neurological/neurosurgical disorders associated with hand-eye incoordination, the functional evaluation of upper limb prosthesis or orthosis, and the analysis of the effects of FES in central or peripheral nervous system disorders.
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785
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Identification of spinal circuits transmitting and gating mechanical pain. Cell 2014; 159:1417-1432. [PMID: 25467445 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 389] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Pain information processing in the spinal cord has been postulated to rely on nociceptive transmission (T) neurons receiving inputs from nociceptors and Aβ mechanoreceptors, with Aβ inputs gated through feed-forward activation of spinal inhibitory neurons (INs). Here, we used intersectional genetic manipulations to identify these critical components of pain transduction. Marking and ablating six populations of spinal excitatory and inhibitory neurons, coupled with behavioral and electrophysiological analysis, showed that excitatory neurons expressing somatostatin (SOM) include T-type cells, whose ablation causes loss of mechanical pain. Inhibitory neurons marked by the expression of dynorphin (Dyn) represent INs, which are necessary to gate Aβ fibers from activating SOM(+) neurons to evoke pain. Therefore, peripheral mechanical nociceptors and Aβ mechanoreceptors, together with spinal SOM(+) excitatory and Dyn(+) inhibitory neurons, form a microcircuit that transmits and gates mechanical pain. PAPERCLIP:
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786
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Flanders M, Soechting JF. The vision of Hsiao on somatosensation. J Neurophysiol 2014; 113:684-7. [PMID: 25392173 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00670.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this review is to start to consolidate and distill the substantial body of research that comprises the published work of the late Professor Steven S. Hsiao. The studies of Hsiao began by demonstrating the receptive field properties of somatosensory neurons, progressed to describing cortical feature selectivity, and then eventually elevated the field to hopes of tapping into natural neural codes with artificial somatosensory feedback. With ongoing analogies to contemporaneous studies in visual neuroscience, the research results and writings of Hsiao have provided the fields of haptics and somatosensory neurophysiology with the conceptual tools needed to allow profound progress. Specifically, Hsiao suggested that slowly adapting tactile form perception could be restored with cortical microstimulation, rapidly adapting slip reflexes should be relegated to low-level, hard-wired prosthetic components, and Pacinian-corpuscle spatiotemporal population responses could potentially be decoded/encoded to provide information about interactions of hands and hand-held instruments with external objects. Future studies will be guided by these insightful reports from Hsiao.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Flanders
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - John F Soechting
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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787
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Renier N, Wu Z, Simon DJ, Yang J, Ariel P, Tessier-Lavigne M. iDISCO: a simple, rapid method to immunolabel large tissue samples for volume imaging. Cell 2014; 159:896-910. [PMID: 25417164 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1018] [Impact Index Per Article: 101.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The visualization of molecularly labeled structures within large intact tissues in three dimensions is an area of intense focus. We describe a simple, rapid, and inexpensive method, iDISCO, that permits whole-mount immunolabeling with volume imaging of large cleared samples ranging from perinatal mouse embryos to adult organs, such as brains or kidneys. iDISCO is modeled on classical histology techniques, facilitating translation of section staining assays to intact tissues, as evidenced by compatibility with 28 antibodies to both endogenous antigens and transgenic reporters like GFP. When applied to degenerating neurons, iDISCO revealed unexpected variability in number of apoptotic neurons within individual sensory ganglia despite tight control of total number in all ganglia. It also permitted imaging of single degenerating axons in adult brain and the first visualization of cleaved Caspase-3 in degenerating embryonic sensory axons in vivo, even single axons. iDISCO enables facile volume imaging of immunolabeled structures in complex tissues. PAPERCLIP:
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Renier
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zhuhao Wu
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - David J Simon
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pablo Ariel
- Bio-Imaging Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Marc Tessier-Lavigne
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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788
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Bagriantsev SN, Gracheva EO, Gallagher PG. Piezo proteins: regulators of mechanosensation and other cellular processes. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:31673-31681. [PMID: 25305018 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r114.612697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Piezo proteins have recently been identified as ion channels mediating mechanosensory transduction in mammalian cells. Characterization of these channels has yielded important insights into mechanisms of somatosensation, as well as other mechano-associated biologic processes such as sensing of shear stress, particularly in the vasculature, and regulation of urine flow and bladder distention. Other roles for Piezo proteins have emerged, some unexpected, including participation in cellular development, volume regulation, cellular migration, proliferation, and elongation. Mutations in human Piezo proteins have been associated with a variety of disorders including hereditary xerocytosis and several syndromes with muscular contracture as a prominent feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sviatoslav N Bagriantsev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Elena O Gracheva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520; Yale Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Patrick G Gallagher
- Departments of Pediatrics, Pathology, and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520.
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789
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Goswami SC, Mishra SK, Maric D, Kaszas K, Gonnella GL, Clokie SJ, Kominsky HD, Gross JR, Keller JM, Mannes AJ, Hoon MA, Iadarola MJ. Molecular signatures of mouse TRPV1-lineage neurons revealed by RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2014; 15:1338-1359. [PMID: 25281809 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2014.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Disorders of pain neural systems are frequently chronic and, when recalcitrant to treatment, can severely degrade the quality of life. The pain pathway begins with sensory neurons in dorsal root or trigeminal ganglia, and the neuronal subpopulations that express the transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1) ion channel transduce sensations of painful heat and inflammation and play a fundamental role in clinical pain arising from cancer and arthritis. In the present study, we elucidate the complete transcriptomes of neurons from the TRPV1 lineage and a non-TRPV1 neuroglial population in sensory ganglia through the combined application of next-gen deep RNA-Seq, genetic neuronal labeling with fluorescence-activated cell sorting, or neuron-selective chemoablation. RNA-Seq accurately quantitates gene expression, a difficult parameter to determine with most other methods, especially for very low and very high expressed genes. Differentially expressed genes are present at every level of cellular function from the nucleus to the plasma membrane. We identified many ligand receptor pairs in the TRPV1 population, suggesting that autonomous presynaptic regulation may be a major regulatory mechanism in nociceptive neurons. The data define, in a quantitative, cell population-specific fashion, the molecular signature of a distinct and clinically important group of pain-sensing neurons and provide an overall framework for understanding the transcriptome of TRPV1 nociceptive neurons. PERSPECTIVE Next-gen RNA-Seq, combined with molecular genetics, provides a comprehensive and quantitative measurement of transcripts in TRPV1 lineage neurons and a contrasting transcriptome from non-TRPV1 neurons and cells. The transcriptome highlights previously unrecognized protein families, identifies multiple molecular circuits for excitatory or inhibitory autocrine and paracrine signaling, and suggests new combinatorial approaches to pain control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samridhi C Goswami
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Santosh K Mishra
- Molecular Genetics Unit, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dragan Maric
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Krisztian Kaszas
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gian Luigi Gonnella
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Samuel J Clokie
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hal D Kominsky
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jacklyn R Gross
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jason M Keller
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Andrew J Mannes
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mark A Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Unit, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michael J Iadarola
- Anesthesia Section, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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790
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Xiong W, Wagner T, Yan L, Grillet N, Müller U. Using injectoporation to deliver genes to mechanosensory hair cells. Nat Protoc 2014; 9:2438-49. [PMID: 25232939 PMCID: PMC4241755 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2014.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mechanosensation, the transduction of mechanical force into electrochemical signals, allows organisms to detect touch and sound, to register movement and gravity, and to sense changes in cell volume and shape. The hair cells of the mammalian inner ear are the mechanosensors for the detection of sound and head movement. The analysis of gene function in hair cells has been hampered by the lack of an efficient gene transfer method. Here we describe a method termed injectoporation that combines tissue microinjection with electroporation to express cDNAs and shRNAs in mouse cochlear hair cells. Injectoporation allows for gene transfer into dozens of hair cells, and it is compatible with the analysis of hair cell function using imaging approaches and electrophysiology. Tissue dissection and injectoporation can be carried out within a few hours, and the tissue can be cultured for days for subsequent functional analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiong
- 1] Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA. [2]
| | - Thomas Wagner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Linxuan Yan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Nicolas Grillet
- 1] Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA. [2]
| | - Ulrich Müller
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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791
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Barabas ME, Mattson EC, Aboualizadeh E, Hirschmugl CJ, Stucky CL. Chemical structure and morphology of dorsal root ganglion neurons from naive and inflamed mice. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:34241-9. [PMID: 25271163 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.570101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Fourier transform infrared spectromicroscopy provides label-free imaging to detect the spatial distribution of the characteristic functional groups in proteins, lipids, phosphates, and carbohydrates simultaneously in individual DRG neurons. We have identified ring-shaped distributions of lipid and/or carbohydrate enrichment in subpopulations of neurons which has never before been reported. These distributions are ring-shaped within the cytoplasm and are likely representative of the endoplasmic reticulum. The prevalence of chemical ring subtypes differs between large- and small-diameter neurons. Peripheral inflammation increased the relative lipid content specifically in small-diameter neurons, many of which are nociceptive. Because many small-diameter neurons express an ion channel involved in inflammatory pain, transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), we asked whether this increase in lipid content occurs in TRPA1-deficient (knock-out) neurons. No statistically significant change in lipid content occurred in TRPA1-deficient neurons, indicating that the inflammation-mediated increase in lipid content is largely dependent on TRPA1. Because TRPA1 is known to mediate mechanical and cold sensitization that accompanies peripheral inflammation, our findings may have important implications for a potential role of lipids in inflammatory pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie E Barabas
- From the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226-0509 and
| | - Eric C Mattson
- the Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
| | - Ebrahim Aboualizadeh
- the Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
| | - Carol J Hirschmugl
- the Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
| | - Cheryl L Stucky
- From the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226-0509 and
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792
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Musial F, Weiss T. The healing power of touch: the specificity of the 'unspecific' effects of massage. Complement Med Res 2014; 21:282-283. [PMID: 25427518 DOI: 10.1159/000368449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Musial
- National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM), Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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793
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Neuronal mechanism for acute mechanosensitivity in tactile-foraging waterfowl. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:14941-6. [PMID: 25246547 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1413656111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Relying almost exclusively on their acute sense of touch, tactile-foraging birds can feed in murky water, but the cellular mechanism is unknown. Mechanical stimuli activate specialized cutaneous end organs in the bill, innervated by trigeminal afferents. We report that trigeminal ganglia (TG) of domestic and wild tactile-foraging ducks exhibit numerical expansion of large-diameter mechanoreceptive neurons expressing the mechano-gated ion channel Piezo2. These features are not found in visually foraging birds. Moreover, in the duck, the expansion of mechanoreceptors occurs at the expense of thermosensors. Direct mechanical stimulation of duck TG neurons evokes high-amplitude depolarizing current with a low threshold of activation, high signal amplification gain, and slow kinetics of inactivation. Together, these factors contribute to efficient conversion of light mechanical stimuli into neuronal excitation. Our results reveal an evolutionary strategy to hone tactile perception in vertebrates at the level of primary afferents.
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794
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Cabo R, Alonso P, Viña E, Vázquez G, Gago A, Feito J, Pérez-Moltó FJ, García-Suárez O, Vega JA. ASIC2 is present in human mechanosensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia and in mechanoreceptors of the glabrous skin. Histochem Cell Biol 2014; 143:267-76. [DOI: 10.1007/s00418-014-1278-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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795
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Abstract
Our tactile perception of external objects depends on skin-object interactions. The mechanics of contact dictates the existence of fundamental spatiotemporal input features—contact initiation and cessation, slip, and rolling contact—that originate from the fact that solid objects do not interpenetrate. However, it is unknown whether these features are represented within the brain. We used a novel haptic interface to deliver such inputs to the glabrous skin of finger/digit pads and recorded from neurons of the cuneate nucleus (the brain’s first level of tactile processing) in the cat. Surprisingly, despite having similar receptive fields and response properties, each cuneate neuron responded to a unique combination of these inputs. Hence, distinct haptic input features are encoded already at subcortical processing stages. This organization maps skin-object interactions into rich representations provided to higher cortical levels and may call for a re-evaluation of our current understanding of the brain’s somatosensory systems. Specific haptic input features were selectively delivered to glabrous skin The input features were segregated in the neurons of the cuneate nucleus These observations may call for a shift in current views of tactile processing
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796
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Minett MS, Eijkelkamp N, Wood JN. Significant determinants of mouse pain behaviour. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104458. [PMID: 25101983 PMCID: PMC4125188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic mouse behavioural analysis has furthered our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying damage sensing and pain. However, it is not unusual for conflicting data on the pain phenotypes of knockout mice to be generated by reputable groups. Here we focus on some technical aspects of measuring mouse pain behaviour that are often overlooked, which may help explain discrepancies in the pain literature. We examined touch perception using von Frey hairs and mechanical pain thresholds using the Randall-Selitto test. Thermal pain thresholds were measured using the Hargreaves apparatus and a thermal place preference test. Sodium channel Nav1.7 knockout mice show a mechanical deficit in the hairy skin, but not the paw, whilst shaving the abdominal hair abolished this phenotype. Nav1.7, Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 knockout mice show deficits in noxious mechanosensation in the tail, but not the paw. TRPA1 knockout mice, however, have a loss of noxious mechanosensation in the paw but not the tail. Studies of heat and cold sensitivity also show variability depending on the intensity of the stimulus. Deleting Nav1.7, Nav1.8 or Nav1.9 in Nav1.8-positive sensory neurons attenuates responses to slow noxious heat ramps, whilst responses to fast noxious heat ramps are only reduced when Nav1.7 is lost in large diameter sensory neurons. Deleting Nav1.7 from all sensory neurons attenuates responses to noxious cooling but not extreme cold. Finally, circadian rhythms dramatically influence behavioural outcome measures such as von Frey responses, which change by 80% over the day. These observations demonstrate that fully characterising the phenotype of a transgenic mouse strain requires a range of behavioural pain models. Failure to conduct behavioural tests at different anatomical locations, stimulus intensities, and at different points in the circadian cycle may lead to a pain behavioural phenotype being misinterpreted, or missed altogether.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Minett
- Molecular Nociception Group, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom
| | - Niels Eijkelkamp
- Molecular Nociception Group, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology and Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - John N. Wood
- Molecular Nociception Group, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom
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797
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Klöcker A, Oddo CM, Camboni D, Penta M, Thonnard JL. Physical factors influencing pleasant touch during passive fingertip stimulation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101361. [PMID: 25000561 PMCID: PMC4084823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Tactile explorations with the fingertips provide information regarding the physical properties of surfaces and their relative pleasantness. Previously, we performed an investigation in the active touch domain and linked several surface properties (i.e. frictional force fluctuations and net friction) with their pleasantness levels. The aim of the present study was to investigate physical factors being important for pleasantness perception during passive fingertip stimulation. Specifically we were interested to see whether factors, such as surfaces' topographies or their frictional characteristics could influence pleasantness. Furthermore, we ascertained how the stimulus pleasantness level was impacted by (i) the normal force of stimulus application (FN) and (ii) the stimulus temperature (TS). METHODS AND RESULTS The right index fingertips of 22 blindfolded participants were stimulated using 27 different stimuli, which varied in average roughness (Ra) and TS. A 4-axis robot moved the stimuli horizontally under participants' fingertips with three levels of FN. The robot was equipped with force sensors, which recorded the FN and friction force (FT) during stimulation. Participants rated each stimulus according to a three-level pleasantness scale, as very pleasant (scored 0), pleasant (scored 1), or unpleasant (scored 2). These ordinal pleasantness ratings were logarithmically transformed into linear and unidimensional pleasantness measures with the Rasch model. Statistical analyses were conducted to investigate a possible link between the stimulus properties (i.e. Ra, FN, FT, and TS) and their respective pleasantness levels. Only the mean Ra and FT values were negatively correlated with pleasantness. No significant correlation was detected between FN or TS and pleasantness. CONCLUSION Pleasantness perception, resulting from passive fingertip stimulation, seems to be influenced by the surfaces' average roughness levels and average FT occurring during fingertip stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Klöcker
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Domenico Camboni
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Penta
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Thonnard
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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798
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Braz J, Solorzano C, Wang X, Basbaum AI. Transmitting pain and itch messages: a contemporary view of the spinal cord circuits that generate gate control. Neuron 2014; 82:522-36. [PMID: 24811377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The original formulation of Gate Control Theory (GCT) proposed that the perception of pain produced by spinal cord signaling to the brain depends on a balance of activity generated in large (nonnociceptive)- and small (nociceptive)-diameter primary afferent fibers. The theory proposed that activation of the large-diameter afferent "closes" the gate by engaging a superficial dorsal horn interneuron that inhibits the firing of projection neurons. Activation of the nociceptors "opens" the gate through concomitant excitation of projection neurons and inhibition of the inhibitory interneurons. Sixty years after publication of the GCT, we are faced with an ever-growing list of morphologically and neurochemically distinct spinal cord interneurons. The present Review highlights the complexity of superficial dorsal horn circuitry and addresses the question whether the premises outlined in GCT still have relevance today. By examining the dorsal horn circuits that underlie the transmission of "pain" and "itch" messages, we also address the extent to which labeled lines can be incorporated into a contemporary view of GCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Braz
- Department of Anatomy, University California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Carlos Solorzano
- Department of Anatomy, University California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Xidao Wang
- Department of Anatomy, University California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Allan I Basbaum
- Department of Anatomy, University California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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799
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Wheeler MA, Heffner DL, Kim S, Espy SM, Spano AJ, Cleland CL, Deppmann CD. TNF-α/TNFR1 signaling is required for the development and function of primary nociceptors. Neuron 2014; 82:587-602. [PMID: 24811380 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Primary nociceptors relay painful touch information from the periphery to the spinal cord. Although it is established that signals generated by receptor tyrosine kinases TrkA and Ret coordinate the development of distinct nociceptive circuits, mechanisms modulating TrkA or Ret pathways in developing nociceptors are unknown. We have identified tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 1 (TNFR1) as a critical modifier of TrkA and Ret signaling in peptidergic and nonpeptidergic nociceptors. Specifically, TrkA+ peptidergic nociceptors require TNF-α-TNFR1 forward signaling to suppress nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated neurite growth, survival, excitability, and differentiation. Conversely, TNFR1-TNF-α reverse signaling augments the neurite growth and excitability of Ret+ nonpeptidergic nociceptors. The developmental and functional nociceptive defects associated with loss of TNFR1 signaling manifest behaviorally as lower pain thresholds caused by increased sensitivity to NGF. Thus, TNFR1 exerts a dual role in nociceptor information processing by suppressing TrkA and enhancing Ret signaling in peptidergic and nonpeptidergic nociceptors, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Wheeler
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Danielle L Heffner
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Suemin Kim
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Sarah M Espy
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Anthony J Spano
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Corey L Cleland
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Christopher D Deppmann
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
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800
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Filingeri D, Fournet D, Hodder S, Havenith G. Why wet feels wet? A neurophysiological model of human cutaneous wetness sensitivity. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:1457-69. [PMID: 24944222 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00120.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the ability to sense skin wetness and humidity is critical for behavioral and autonomic adaptations, humans are not provided with specific skin receptors for sensing wetness. It has been proposed that we "learn" to perceive the wetness experienced when the skin is in contact with a wet surface or when sweat is produced through a multisensory integration of thermal and tactile inputs generated by the interaction between skin and moisture. However, the individual roles of thermal and tactile cues and how these are integrated peripherally and centrally by our nervous system is still poorly understood. Here we tested the hypothesis that the central integration of coldness and mechanosensation, as subserved by peripheral A-nerve afferents, might be the primary neural process underpinning human wetness sensitivity. During a quantitative sensory test, we found that individuals perceived warm-wet and neutral-wet stimuli as significantly less wet than cold-wet stimuli, although these were characterized by the same moisture content. Also, when cutaneous cold and tactile sensitivity was diminished by a selective reduction in the activity of A-nerve afferents, wetness perception was significantly reduced. Based on a concept of perceptual learning and Bayesian perceptual inference, we developed the first neurophysiological model of cutaneous wetness sensitivity centered on the multisensory integration of cold-sensitive and mechanosensitive skin afferents. Our results provide evidence for the existence of a specific information processing model that underpins the neural representation of a typical wet stimulus. These findings contribute to explaining how humans sense warm, neutral, and cold skin wetness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Filingeri
- Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom; and
| | - Damien Fournet
- Thermal Sciences Laboratory, Oxylane Research, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Simon Hodder
- Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom; and
| | - George Havenith
- Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom; and
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