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Handler A, Ginty DD. The mechanosensory neurons of touch and their mechanisms of activation. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:521-537. [PMID: 34312536 PMCID: PMC8485761 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00489-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Our sense of touch emerges from an array of mechanosensory structures residing within the fabric of our skin. These tactile end organ structures convert innocuous forces acting on the skin into electrical signals that propagate to the CNS via the axons of low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs). Our rich capacity for tactile discrimination arises from the dissimilar intrinsic properties of the LTMR subtypes that innervate different regions of the skin and the structurally distinct end organ complexes with which they associate. These end organ structures comprise a range of non-neuronal cell types, which may themselves actively contribute to the transformation of tactile forces into neural impulses within the LTMR afferents. Although the mechanism and the site of transduction across end organs remain unclear, PIEZO2 has emerged as the principal mechanosensitive channel involved in light touch of the skin. Here we review the physiological properties of LTMR subtypes and discuss how features of their cutaneous end organ complexes shape subtype-specific tuning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Handler
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Cárcaba L, García-Piqueras J, García-Mesa Y, Cobo R, García-Suárez O, Feito J, Vega JA. Human digital merkel cells display pannexin1 immunoreactivity. Ann Anat 2021; 239:151813. [PMID: 34384856 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2021.151813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Pannexins are channel proteins displaying functional similarities to gap junctions in vertebrates and are regarded as transmembrane ATP-releasing channels. A member of this family, denominate pannexin1, has been detected in the epidermis and cutaneous adnexal structures. Here we used immunohistochemistry to investigate whether human digital Merkel cells express this protein since ATP is postulated as a neurotransmitter in the Merkel cell-axon complexes low-threshold mecahoreceptors. Pannexin1 immunoreactivity was found in cytokeratine 20-, chromogranin A- and synaptophysin-positive cells placed at the basal layer of the epidermis. Cell displaying pannexin1 immunoreactivities were thus identified as Merkel cells and showed close contact with nerve profiles. Light pannexin1 immunoreactivity in dermal blood vessels was also verified. Present results demonstrate for the first time the expression of pannexin1 in human digital Merkel cells supporting the idea that ATP can be involved directly or indirectly in the mechanotransductional process at Merkel-axon complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Cárcaba
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jorge García-Piqueras
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - Yolanda García-Mesa
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ramón Cobo
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - Olivia García-Suárez
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jorge Feito
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain; Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Departamento de Anatomía e Histología Humanas, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - José A Vega
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
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53
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Oss-Ronen L, Cohen I. Epigenetic regulation and signalling pathways in Merkel cell development. Exp Dermatol 2021; 30:1051-1064. [PMID: 34152646 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Merkel cells are specialized epithelial cells connected to afferent nerve endings responsible for light-touch sensations, formed at specific locations in touch-sensitive regions of the mammalian skin. Although Merkel cells are descendants of the epidermal lineage, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the development of these unique mechanosensory cells. Recent studies have highlighted that the Polycomb group (PcG) of proteins play a significant role in spatiotemporal regulation of Merkel cell formation. In addition, several of the major signalling pathways involved in skin development have been shown to regulate Merkel cell development as well. Here, we summarize the current understandings of the role of developmental regulators in Merkel cell formation, including the interplay between the epigenetic machinery and key signalling pathways, and the lineage-specific transcription factors involved in the regulation of Merkel cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liat Oss-Ronen
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Idan Cohen
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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54
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Chang W, Gu JG. Effects on tactile transmission by serotonin transporter inhibitors at Merkel discs of mouse whisker hair follicles. Mol Pain 2021; 16:1744806920938237. [PMID: 32600103 PMCID: PMC7328215 DOI: 10.1177/1744806920938237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Merkel disc is a main type of tactile end organs formed by Merkel cells and
Aβ-afferent endings as first tactile sensory synapses. They are highly abundant in
fingertips, touch domes, and whisker hair follicles of mammals and are essential for
sensory tasks including social interaction, environmental exploration, and tactile
discrimination. We have recently shown that Merkel discs use serotonin to transmit tactile
signals from Merkel cells to Aβ-afferent endings to drive slowly adapting type 1 impulses
on the Aβ-afferent nerves. This raises a question as whether the serotoninergic
transmission at Merkel discs may be regulated by serotonin transporters and whether
serotonin transporter inhibitors may affect the tactile transmission. Here, we made
recordings from whisker afferent nerves of mouse whisker hair follicles and tested the
effects of monoamine transporter inhibitors on slowly adapting type 1 impulses. We show
that methamphetamine, a monoamine releasing facilitator and reuptake inhibitor, elicited
spontaneous impulses as well as increased the numbers of slowly adapting type 1 impulses
elicited by whisker hair deflections. S-duloxetine, a potent inhibitor of transporters of
serotonin and norepinephrine, and fluoxetine, a selective inhibitor of serotonin
transporters, both also increased the numbers of slowly adapting type 1 impulses.
Prolonged treatment of whisker hair follicles with methamphetamine abolished most of
slowly adapting type 1 impulses. Furthermore, the treatment of whisker hair follicles with
methamphetamine resulted in serotonin release from whisker hair follicles. Taken together,
our results suggest that serotonin transporters play a role in regulating tactile
transmission at Merkel discs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weipang Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jianguo G Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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55
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Yin C, Peterman E, Rasmussen JP, Parrish JZ. Transparent Touch: Insights From Model Systems on Epidermal Control of Somatosensory Innervation. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:680345. [PMID: 34135734 PMCID: PMC8200473 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.680345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatosensory neurons (SSNs) densely innervate our largest organ, the skin, and shape our experience of the world, mediating responses to sensory stimuli including touch, pressure, and temperature. Historically, epidermal contributions to somatosensation, including roles in shaping innervation patterns and responses to sensory stimuli, have been understudied. However, recent work demonstrates that epidermal signals dictate patterns of SSN skin innervation through a variety of mechanisms including targeting afferents to the epidermis, providing instructive cues for branching morphogenesis, growth control and structural stability of neurites, and facilitating neurite-neurite interactions. Here, we focus onstudies conducted in worms (Caenorhabditis elegans), fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), and zebrafish (Danio rerio): prominent model systems in which anatomical and genetic analyses have defined fundamental principles by which epidermal cells govern SSN development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jay Z. Parrish
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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56
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Sex-Dependent Reduction in Mechanical Allodynia in the Sural-Sparing Nerve Injury Model in Mice Lacking Merkel Cells. J Neurosci 2021; 41:5595-5619. [PMID: 34031166 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1668-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Innocuous touch sensation is mediated by cutaneous low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs). Aβ slowly adapting type I (SAI) neurons constitute one LTMR subtype that forms synapse-like complexes with associated Merkel cells in the basal skin epidermis. Under healthy conditions, these complexes transduce indentation and pressure stimuli into Aβ SAI LTMR action potentials that are transmitted to the CNS, thereby contributing to tactile sensation. However, it remains unknown whether this complex plays a role in the mechanical hypersensitivity caused by peripheral nerve injury. In this study, we characterized the distribution of Merkel cells and associated afferent neurons across four diverse domains of mouse hind paw skin, including a recently described patch of plantar hairy skin. We also showed that in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain, Merkel cells are lost from the denervated tibial nerve territory but are relatively preserved in nearby hairy skin innervated by the spared sural nerve. Using a genetic Merkel cell KO mouse model, we subsequently examined the importance of intact Merkel cell-Aβ complexes to SNI-associated mechanical hypersensitivity in skin innervated by the spared neurons. We found that, in the absence of Merkel cells, mechanical allodynia was partially reduced in male mice, but not female mice, under sural-sparing SNI conditions. Our results suggest that Merkel cell-Aβ afferent complexes partially contribute to mechanical allodynia produced by peripheral nerve injury, and that they do so in a sex-dependent manner.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Merkel discs or Merkel cell-Aβ afferent complexes are mechanosensory end organs in mammalian skin. Yet, it remains unknown whether Merkel cells or their associated sensory neurons play a role in the mechanical hypersensitivity caused by peripheral nerve injury. We found that male mice genetically lacking Merkel cell-Aβ afferent complexes exhibited a reduction in mechanical allodynia after nerve injury. Interestingly, this behavioral phenotype was not observed in mutant female mice. Our study will facilitate understanding of mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain.
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Arora V, Morado-Urbina CE, Gwak YS, Parker RA, Kittel CA, Munoz-Islas E, Miguel Jimenez-Andrade J, Romero-Sandoval EA, Eisenach JC, Peters CM. Systemic administration of a β2-adrenergic receptor agonist reduces mechanical allodynia and suppresses the immune response to surgery in a rat model of persistent post-incisional hypersensitivity. Mol Pain 2021; 17:1744806921997206. [PMID: 33829907 PMCID: PMC8040570 DOI: 10.1177/1744806921997206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Beta 2 adrenergic receptor (β2 AR) activation in the central and peripheral nervous system has been implicated in nociceptive processing in acute and chronic pain settings with anti-inflammatory and anti-allodynic effects of β2-AR mimetics reported in several pain states. In the current study, we examined the therapeutic efficacy of the β2-AR agonist clenbuterol in a rat model of persistent postsurgical hypersensitivity induced by disruption of descending noradrenergic signaling in rats with plantar incision. We used growth curve modeling of ipsilateral mechanical paw withdrawal thresholds following incision to examine effects of treatment on postoperative trajectories. Depletion of spinal noradrenergic neurons delayed recovery of hypersensitivity following incision evident as a flattened slope compared to non-depleted rats (-1.8 g/day with 95% CI -2.4 to -1.085, p < 0.0001). Chronic administration of clenbuterol reduced mechanical hypersensitivity evident as a greater initial intercept in noradrenergic depleted (6.2 g with 95% CI 1.6 to 10.8, p = 0.013) and non-depleted rats (5.4 g with 95% CI 1.2 to 9.6, p = 0.018) with plantar incision compared to vehicle treated rats. Despite a persistent reduction in mechanical hypersensitivity, clenbuterol did not alter the slope of recovery when modeled over several days (p = 0.053) or five weeks in depleted rats (p = 0.64). Systemic clenbuterol suppressed the enhanced microglial activation in depleted rats and reduced the density of macrophage at the site of incision. Direct spinal infusion of clenbuterol failed to reduce mechanical hypersensitivity in depleted rats with incision suggesting that beneficial effects of β2-AR stimulation in this model are largely peripherally mediated. Lastly, we examined β2-AR distribution in the spinal cord and skin using in-situ hybridization and IHC. These data add to our understanding of the role of β2-ARs in the nervous system on hypersensitivity after surgical incision and extend previously observed anti-inflammatory actions of β2-AR agonists to models of surgical injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipin Arora
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Young S Gwak
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Renee A Parker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Carol A Kittel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - James C Eisenach
- FM James III Professor of Anesthesiology and Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Christopher M Peters
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA,Christopher M Peters, Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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58
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Schutte SC, Kadakia F, Davidson S. Skin-Nerve Co-Culture Systems for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2021; 27:89-99. [PMID: 33349133 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2020.0296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prominent clinical problems related to the skin-nerve interface include barrier dysfunction and erythema, but it is the symptoms of pain and itch that most often lead patients to seek medical treatment. Tissue-engineered innervated skin models provide an excellent solution for studying the mechanisms underlying neurocutaneous disorders for drug screening, and cutaneous device development. Innervated skin substitutes provide solutions beyond traditional monolayer cultures and have advantages that make them preferable to in vivo animal studies for certain applications, such as measuring somatosensory transduction. The tissue-engineered innervated skin models replicate the complex stratified epidermis that provides barrier function in native skin, a feature that is lacking in monolayer co-cultures, while allowing for a level of detail in measurement of nerve morphology and function that cannot be achieved in animal models. In this review, the advantages and disadvantages of different cell sources and scaffold materials will be discussed and a presentation of the current state of the field is reviewed. Impact statement A review of the current state of innervated skin substitutes and the considerations that need to be addressed when developing these models. Tissue-engineered skin substitutes are customizable and provide barrier function allowing for screening of topical drugs and for studying nerve function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey C Schutte
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Feni Kadakia
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, and Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Steve Davidson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, and Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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59
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Schwaller F, Bégay V, García-García G, Taberner FJ, Moshourab R, McDonald B, Docter T, Kühnemund J, Ojeda-Alonso J, Paricio-Montesinos R, Lechner SG, Poulet JFA, Millan JM, Lewin GR. USH2A is a Meissner's corpuscle protein necessary for normal vibration sensing in mice and humans. Nat Neurosci 2021. [PMID: 33288907 DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.01.180919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Fingertip mechanoreceptors comprise sensory neuron endings together with specialized skin cells that form the end-organ. Exquisitely sensitive, vibration-sensing neurons are associated with Meissner's corpuscles in the skin. In the present study, we found that USH2A, a transmembrane protein with a very large extracellular domain, was found in terminal Schwann cells within Meissner's corpuscles. Pathogenic USH2A mutations cause Usher's syndrome, associated with hearing loss and visual impairment. We show that patients with biallelic pathogenic USH2A mutations also have clear and specific impairments in vibrotactile touch perception, as do mutant mice lacking USH2A. Forepaw rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors innervating Meissner's corpuscles, recorded from Ush2a-/- mice, showed large reductions in vibration sensitivity. However, the USH2A protein was not found in sensory neurons. Thus, loss of USH2A in corpuscular end-organs reduced mechanoreceptor sensitivity as well as vibration perception. Thus, a tether-like protein is required to facilitate detection of small-amplitude vibrations essential for the perception of fine-grained tactile surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred Schwaller
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valérie Bégay
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gema García-García
- Research Group on Molecular, Cellular and Genomic Biomedicine Health Research, Institute La Fe and Joint Unit for Rare Diseases CIPF-IIS La Fe, Valencia, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco J Taberner
- Institute of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Alicante, Spain
| | - Rabih Moshourab
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Virchow Klinikum and Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Helios Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Brennan McDonald
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Trevor Docter
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Life Sciences Addition, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Johannes Kühnemund
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Ojeda-Alonso
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan G Lechner
- Institute of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - James F A Poulet
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jose M Millan
- Research Group on Molecular, Cellular and Genomic Biomedicine Health Research, Institute La Fe and Joint Unit for Rare Diseases CIPF-IIS La Fe, Valencia, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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60
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Schwaller F, Bégay V, García-García G, Taberner FJ, Moshourab R, McDonald B, Docter T, Kühnemund J, Ojeda-Alonso J, Paricio-Montesinos R, Lechner SG, Poulet JFA, Millan JM, Lewin GR. USH2A is a Meissner’s corpuscle protein necessary for normal vibration sensing in mice and humans. Nat Neurosci 2020; 24:74-81. [DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00751-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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61
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Chang W, Gu JG. Role of microtubules in Piezo2 mechanotransduction of mouse Merkel cells. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:1824-1831. [PMID: 33085566 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00502.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Piezo2 channels are expressed in Merkel cells and somatosensory neurons to mediate mechanotransduction leading to the sense of touch. Components of the cytoskeleton including microtubules are key intracellular structures that maintain cellular membrane mechanics and thereby may be important in mechanotransduction. In the present study, we have explored, with microtubule-targeting agents, the potential role of microtubules in Piezo2-mediated mechanotransduction in Merkel cells of mouse whisker hair follicles. Applying patch-clamp recordings to Merkel cells in situ in whisker hair follicles, we show that Piezo2-mediated mechanically activated (MA) currents in Merkel cells are significantly potentiated by the microtubule stabilizer paclitaxel but reduced by the microtubule destabilizer vincristine. Furthermore, electrophysiological recordings made from whisker hair follicle afferent nerves show that mechanically evoked whisker afferent impulses are significantly enhanced by paclitaxel and its analog docetaxel but significantly suppressed by vincristine and its analog vinblastine. Our findings suggest that microtubules play an essential role in Piezo2 mechanotransduction in Merkel cells.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Piezo2 channels are expressed in Merkel cells to mediate mechanotransduction leading to the sense of touch. Here we determined the role of microtubules in regulating Piezo2-mediated mechanotransduction in Merkel cells. Piezo2-mediated currents in Merkel cells are potentiated by microtubule stabilizer paclitaxel but reduced by microtubule destabilizer vincristine. Mechanically evoked afferent impulses are also enhanced by microtubule stabilizers and suppressed by microtubule destabilizers. Microtubules may play an essential role in Piezo2 mechanotransduction in Merkel cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weipang Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Jianguo G Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
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62
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Xu J, Yu H, Sun X. Less Is More: Rare Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells Function as Critical Sensors in Lung. Dev Cell 2020; 55:123-132. [PMID: 33108755 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) are rare airway epithelial cells that also uniquely harbor neuronal and endocrine characteristics. In vitro data indicate that these cells respond to chemical or mechanical stimuli by releasing neuropeptides and neurotransmitters, implicating them as airway sensors. Emerging in vivo data corroborate this role and demonstrate that PNECs are important for lung response to signals, such as allergens. With close proximity to steady-state immune cells and innervating nerves, PNECs, as prototype tissue-resident neuroendocrine cells, are at the center of a neuro-immune module that enables the fundamental ability of an organ to sense and respond to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhao Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Haoze Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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63
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Talagas M, Lebonvallet N, Leschiera R, Sinquin G, Elies P, Haftek M, Pennec JP, Ressnikoff D, La Padula V, Le Garrec R, L'herondelle K, Mignen O, Le Pottier L, Kerfant N, Reux A, Marcorelles P, Misery L. Keratinocytes Communicate with Sensory Neurons via Synaptic-like Contacts. Ann Neurol 2020; 88:1205-1219. [PMID: 32951274 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pain, temperature, and itch are conventionally thought to be exclusively transduced by the intraepidermal nerve endings. Although recent studies have shown that epidermal keratinocytes also participate in sensory transduction, the mechanism underlying keratinocyte communication with intraepidermal nerve endings remains poorly understood. We sought to demonstrate the synaptic character of the contacts between keratinocytes and sensory neurons and their involvement in sensory communication between keratinocytes and sensory neurons. METHODS Contacts were explored by morphological, molecular, and functional approaches in cocultures of epidermal keratinocytes and sensory neurons. To interrogate whether structures observed in vitro were also present in the human epidermis, in situ correlative light electron microscopy was performed on human skin biopsies. RESULTS Epidermal keratinocytes dialogue with sensory neurons through en passant synaptic-like contacts. These contacts have the ultrastructural features and molecular hallmarks of chemical synaptic-like contacts: narrow intercellular cleft, keratinocyte synaptic vesicles expressing synaptophysin and synaptotagmin 1, and sensory information transmitted from keratinocytes to sensory neurons through SNARE-mediated (syntaxin1) vesicle release. INTERPRETATION By providing selective communication between keratinocytes and sensory neurons, synaptic-like contacts are the hubs of a 2-site receptor. The permanent epidermal turnover, implying a specific en passant structure and high plasticity, may have delayed their identification, thereby contributing to the long-held concept of nerve endings passing freely between keratinocytes. The discovery of keratinocyte-sensory neuron synaptic-like contacts may call for a reassessment of basic assumptions in cutaneous sensory perception and sheds new light on the pathophysiology of pain and itch as well as the physiology of touch. ANN NEUROL 2020;88:1205-1219.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Talagas
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Department of Pathology, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Nicolas Lebonvallet
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Raphael Leschiera
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Gerard Sinquin
- Univ Brest, Imagery and Microscopic Measures Facility, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Philippe Elies
- Univ Brest, Imagery and Microscopic Measures Facility, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Marek Haftek
- Laboratory of Tissue Biology and Therapeutic Engineering, University of Lyon 1, UMR 5305 CNRS-UCBL1, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Pennec
- Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Movement Sport and Health (EA1274), Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Denis Ressnikoff
- East Lyon Center of Quantitative Imagery, University of Lyon 1, INSERM US 7-CNRS UMS 3453, Lyon, France
| | - Veronica La Padula
- Technological Center of Microstructures, University of Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Raphaele Le Garrec
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Killian L'herondelle
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Olivier Mignen
- Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, INSERM, UMR 1227, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Laetitia Le Pottier
- Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, INSERM, UMR 1227, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Nathalie Kerfant
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Esthetic Surgery, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
| | - Alexia Reux
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Pascale Marcorelles
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Department of Pathology, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Laurent Misery
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Univ Brest, Brest Institute of Health Agro Matter, Brest University, F-29200 Brest, France.,Department of Dermatology, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
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64
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Peripheral Mechanobiology of Touch-Studies on Vertebrate Cutaneous Sensory Corpuscles. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176221. [PMID: 32867400 PMCID: PMC7504094 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate skin contains sensory corpuscles that are receptors for different qualities of mechanosensitivity like light brush, touch, pressure, stretch or vibration. These specialized sensory organs are linked anatomically and functionally to mechanosensory neurons, which function as low-threshold mechanoreceptors connected to peripheral skin through Aβ nerve fibers. Furthermore, low-threshold mechanoreceptors associated with Aδ and C nerve fibers have been identified in hairy skin. The process of mechanotransduction requires the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into electrical signals (action potentials) through the activation of mechanosensible ion channels present both in the axon and the periaxonal cells of sensory corpuscles (i.e., Schwann-, endoneurial- and perineurial-related cells). Most of those putative ion channels belong to the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (especially the family of acid-sensing ion channels), the transient receptor potential channel superfamilies, and the Piezo family. This review updates the current data about the occurrence and distribution of putative mechanosensitive ion channels in cutaneous mechanoreceptors including primary sensory neurons and sensory corpuscles.
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65
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Hill RZ, Bautista DM. Getting in Touch with Mechanical Pain Mechanisms. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:311-325. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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66
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67
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Amphipathic molecules modulate PIEZO1 activity. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 47:1833-1842. [PMID: 31754715 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
PIEZO proteins are large eukaryotic mechanically-gated channels that function as homotrimers. The basic PIEZO1 structure has been elucidated by CryoEM and it assembles into a protein-lipid dome. A curved lipid region allows for the transition to the lipid bilayer from the dome (footprint). Gating PIEZO1 is mediated by bilayer tension that induces an area change in the lipid dome. The footprint region is thought to be energetically important for changes in lateral tension. Amphipathic molecules can modulate channel function beyond the intrinsic gating properties of PIEZO1. As a result, molecules that modify lipid properties within the lipid-channel complex (footprint and dome) will profoundly affect channel kinetics. In this review, we summarize the effects some amphipathic molecules have on the lipid bilayer and PIEZO1 function. PIEZO1 has three states, closed, open and inactivated and amphipathic molecules influence these transitions. The amphipathic peptide, GsMTx4, inhibits the closed to open transition. While saturated fatty acids also prevent PIEZO1 gating, the effect is mediated by stiffening the lipids, presumably in both the dome and footprint region. Polyunsaturated fatty acids can increase disorder within the lipid-protein complex affecting channel kinetics. PIEZO1 can also form higher-ordered structures that confers new kinetic properties associated with clustered channels. Cholesterol-rich domains house PIEZO1 channels, and depletion of cholesterol causes a breakdown of those domains with changes to channel kinetics and channel diffusion. These examples underscore the complex effects lipophilic molecules can have on the PIEZO1 lipid dome structure and thus on the mechanical response of the cell.
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68
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Talagas M, Lebonvallet N, Leschiera R, Elies P, Marcorelles P, Misery L. Intra-epidermal nerve endings progress within keratinocyte cytoplasmic tunnels in normal human skin. Exp Dermatol 2020; 29:387-392. [PMID: 32003039 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Intra-epidermal nerve endings, responsible for cutaneous perception of temperature, pain and itch, are conventionally described as passing freely between keratinocytes, from the basal to the granular layers of the epidermis. However, the recent discovery of keratinocyte contribution to cutaneous nociception implies that their anatomical relationships are much more intimate than what has been described so far. By studying human skin biopsies in confocal laser scanning microscopy, we show that intra-epidermal nerve endings are not only closely apposed to keratinocytes, but can also be enwrapped by keratinocyte cytoplasms over their entire circumference and thus progress within keratinocyte tunnels. As keratinocytes must activate intra-epidermal nerve endings to transduce nociceptive information, these findings may help understanding the interactions between the keratinocytes and nervous system. The discovery of these nerve portions progressing in keratinocyte tunnels is a strong argument to consider that contacts between epidermal keratinocytes and intra-epidermal nerve endings are not incidental and argue for the existence of specific and rapid paracrine communication from keratinocytes to sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Talagas
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France
- Department of Pathology, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
| | | | | | - Philippe Elies
- Univ Brest, Imagery and Microscopic Measures Facility, Brest, France
| | - Pascale Marcorelles
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France
- Department of Pathology, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
| | - Laurent Misery
- Univ Brest, LIEN, Brest, France
- Department of Dermatology, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
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69
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Abstract
Gentle touch sensation in mammals depends on synaptic transmission from primary sensory cells (Merkel cells) to secondary sensory neurons. Hoffman et al. (2018) identify norepinephrine and β2-adrendergic receptors as the neurotransmitter-receptor pair responsible for sustained touch responses. The findings may deepen understanding of how drugs affect touch and pain sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Fechner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Miriam B Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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70
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Feng J, Hu H. A novel player in the field: Merkel disc in touch, itch and pain. Exp Dermatol 2019; 28:1412-1415. [PMID: 31001848 DOI: 10.1111/exd.13945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The mechanosensitive Merkel cell-neurite complex comprising two distinct cell types in both hairy and glabrous skin has been widely recognized as touch receptor for more than 100 years. In 2014, three elegant studies further demonstrated that the Merkel cell-neurite complex mediates touch transduction via the mechanosensitive Piezo2 channel. However, whether it is involved in genesis of itch and pain sensations, has been unclear. Recently, we reported that Merkel cells modulate the development of mechanical itch under the conditions of dry skin and aging, whereas two other studies demonstrated that Piezo2 channel mediates mechanical pain. In this assay, we summarized the current knowledge of Merkel disk under both normal and pathological conditions, with a focus on its role in touch, itch, and pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Hongzhen Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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71
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Sonekatsu M, Gu SL, Kanda H, Gu JG. Effects of norepinephrine and β2 receptor antagonist ICI 118,551 on whisker hair follicle mechanoreceptors dissatisfy Merkel discs being adrenergic synapses. Mol Brain 2019; 12:31. [PMID: 30943999 PMCID: PMC6448341 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0450-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Merkel discs, located in skin touch domes and whisker hair follicles, are tactile end organs essential for environmental exploration, social interaction, and tactile discrimination. Recent studies from our group and two others have shown that mechanical stimulation excites Merkel cells via Piezo2 channel activation to subsequently activate sensory neural pathways. We have further shown that mechanical stimulation leads to the release of 5-HT from Merkel cells to synaptically transmit tactile signals to whisker afferent nerves. However, a more recent study using skin touch domes has raised the possibility that Merkel discs are adrenergic synapses. It was proposed that norepinephrine is released from Merkel cells upon mechanical stimulation to subsequently activate β2 adrenergic receptors on Merkel disc nerve endings leading to nerve impulses. In the present study, we examined effects of norepinephrine and β2 adrenergic receptor antagonist ICI 118,551 on Merkel disc mechanoreceptors in mouse whisker hair follicles. We show that norepinephrine did not directly induce impulses from Merkel disc mechanoreceptors. Furthermore, we found that ICI 118,551 at 50 μM inhibited voltage-gated Na+ channels and suppressed impulses of Merkel disc mechanoreceptors, but ICI 118,551 at 1 μM had no effects on the impulse. These findings challenge the hypothesis of Merkel discs being adrenergic synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Sonekatsu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Steven Lawrence Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Hirosato Kanda
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jianguo G Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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72
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A Role for Sensory end Organ-Derived Signals in Regulating Muscle Spindle Proprioceptor Phenotype. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4252-4267. [PMID: 30926747 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2671-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Proprioceptive feedback from Group Ia/II muscle spindle afferents and Group Ib Golgi tendon afferents is critical for the normal execution of most motor tasks, yet how these distinct proprioceptor subtypes emerge during development remains poorly understood. Using molecular genetic approaches in mice of either sex, we identified 24 transcripts that have not previously been associated with a proprioceptor identity. Combinatorial expression analyses of these markers reveal at least three molecularly distinct proprioceptor subtypes. In addition, we find that 12 of these transcripts are expressed well after proprioceptors innervate their respective sensory receptors, and expression of three of these markers, including the heart development molecule Heg1, is significantly reduced in mice that lack muscle spindles. These data reveal Heg1 as a putative marker for proprioceptive muscle spindle afferents. Moreover, they suggest that the phenotypic specialization of functionally distinct proprioceptor subtypes depends, in part, on extrinsic sensory receptor organ-derived signals.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sensory feedback from muscle spindle (MS) and Golgi tendon organ (GTO) sensory end organs is critical for normal motor control, but how distinct MS and GTO afferent sensory neurons emerge during development remains poorly understood. Using (bulk) transcriptome analysis of genetically identified proprioceptors, this work reveals molecular markers for distinct proprioceptor subsets, including some that appear selectively expressed in MS afferents. Detailed analysis of the expression of these transcripts provides evidence that MS/GTO afferent subtype phenotypes may, at least in part, emerge through extrinsic, sensory end organ-derived signals.
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73
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Nguyen MB, Valdes VJ, Cohen I, Pothula V, Zhao D, Zheng D, Ezhkova E. Dissection of Merkel cell formation in hairy and glabrous skin reveals a common requirement for FGFR2-mediated signalling. Exp Dermatol 2019; 28:374-382. [PMID: 30758073 DOI: 10.1111/exd.13901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Merkel cells are mechanosensory cells involved in tactile discrimination. Merkel cells have been primarily studied in the murine back skin, where they are found in specialized structures called touch domes located around primary hair follicles. Yet, little is known about the morphogenesis of Merkel cells in areas of the skin devoid of hair, such as the glabrous paw skin. Here, we describe Merkel cell formation in the glabrous paw skin during embryogenesis. We first found in the glabrous paw skin that Merkel cells were specified at E15.5, 24 hours later, compared to in the back skin. Additionally, by performing lineage-tracing experiments, we found that unlike in the back skin, SOX9(+) cells do not give rise to Merkel cells in the glabrous paw skin. Finally, we compared the transcriptomes of Merkel cells in the back and the glabrous paw skin and showed that they are similar. Genetic and transcriptome studies showed that the formation of Merkel cells in both regions was controlled by similar regulators. Among them was FGFR2, an upstream factor of MAPK signalling that was reported to have a critical function in Merkel cell formation in the back skin. Here, we showed that FGFR2 is also required for Merkel cell development in the glabrous paw skin. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Merkel cells in the murine back skin and glabrous paw skin are similar, and even though their formation is controlled by a common genetic programme, their precursor cells might differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh Binh Nguyen
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, The Tisch Cancer Institute, New York City, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York
| | - Victor Julian Valdes
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, The Tisch Cancer Institute, New York City, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York
| | - Idan Cohen
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, The Tisch Cancer Institute, New York City, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York
| | - Venu Pothula
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, The Tisch Cancer Institute, New York City, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York
| | - Dejian Zhao
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Departments of Genetics, Neurology, and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Elena Ezhkova
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, The Tisch Cancer Institute, New York City, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York
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74
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Bray N. Merkel cells touch a nerve. Nat Rev Neurosci 2018; 20:4. [PMID: 30487593 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-018-0100-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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