1
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Zeitzschel N, Lechner SG. The activation thresholds and inactivation kinetics of poking-evoked PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 currents are sensitive to subtle variations in mechanical stimulation parameters. Channels (Austin) 2024; 18:2355123. [PMID: 38754025 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2024.2355123] [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] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are mechanically activated ion channels that confer mechanosensitivity to various cell types. PIEZO channels are commonly examined using the so-called poking technique, where currents are recorded in the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique, while the cell surface is mechanically stimulated with a small fire-polished patch pipette. Currently, there is no gold standard for mechanical stimulation, and therefore, stimulation protocols differ significantly between laboratories with regard to stimulation velocity, angle, and size of the stimulation probe. Here, we systematically examined the impact of variations in these three stimulation parameters on the outcomes of patch-clamp recordings of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2. We show that the inactivation kinetics of PIEZO1 and, to a lesser extent, of PIEZO2 change with the angle at which the probe that is used for mechanical stimulation is positioned and, even more prominently, with the size of its tip. Moreover, we found that the mechanical activation threshold of PIEZO2, but not PIEZO1, decreased with increasing stimulation speeds. Thus, our data show that two key outcome parameters of PIEZO-related patch-clamp studies are significantly affected by common variations in the mechanical stimulation protocols, which calls for caution when comparing data from different laboratories and highlights the need to establish a gold standard for mechanical stimulation to improve comparability and reproducibility of data obtained with the poking technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Zeitzschel
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan G Lechner
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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2
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Sánchez-Carranza O, Chakrabarti S, Kühnemund J, Schwaller F, Bégay V, García-Contreras JA, Wang L, Lewin GR. Piezo2 voltage-block regulates mechanical pain sensitivity. Brain 2024; 147:3487-3500. [PMID: 38984717 PMCID: PMC11449130 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
PIEZO2 is a trimeric mechanically-gated ion channel expressed by most sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia. Mechanosensitive PIEZO2 channels are also genetically required for normal touch sensation in both mice and humans. We previously showed that PIEZO2 channels are also strongly modulated by membrane voltage. Specifically, it is only at very positive voltages that all channels are available for opening by mechanical force. Conversely, most PIEZO2 channels are blocked at normal negative resting membrane potentials. The physiological function of this unusual biophysical property of PIEZO2 channels, however, remained unknown. We characterized the biophysical properties of three PIEZO2 ion channel mutations at an evolutionarily conserved arginine (R2756). Using genome engineering in mice we generated Piezo2R2756H/R2756H and Piezo2R2756K/R2756K knock-in mice to characterize the physiological consequences of altering PIEZO2 voltage sensitivity in vivo. We measured endogenous mechanosensitive currents in sensory neurons isolated from the dorsal root ganglia and characterized mechanoreceptor and nociceptor function using electrophysiology. Mice were also assessed behaviourally and morphologically. Mutations at the conserved Arginine (R2756) dramatically changed the biophysical properties of the channel relieving voltage block and lowering mechanical thresholds for channel activation. Piezo2R2756H/R2756H and Piezo2R2756K/R2756K knock-in mice that were homozygous for gain-of-function mutations were viable and were tested for sensory changes. Surprisingly, mechanosensitive currents in nociceptors, neurons that detect noxious mechanical stimuli, were substantially sensitized in Piezo2 knock-in mice, but mechanosensitive currents in most mechanoreceptors that underlie touch sensation were only mildly affected by the same mutations. Single-unit electrophysiological recordings from sensory neurons innervating the glabrous skin revealed that rapidly-adapting mechanoreceptors that innervate Meissner's corpuscles exhibited slightly decreased mechanical thresholds in Piezo2 knock-in mice. Consistent with measurements of mechanically activated currents in isolated sensory neurons essentially all cutaneous nociceptors, both fast conducting Aδ-mechanonociceptors and unmyelinated C-fibre nociceptors were substantially more sensitive to mechanical stimuli and indeed acquired receptor properties similar to ultrasensitive touch receptors in Piezo2 knock-in mice. Mechanical stimuli also induced enhanced ongoing activity in cutaneous nociceptors in Piezo2 knock-in mice and hyper-sensitive PIEZO2 channels were sufficient alone to drive ongoing activity, even in isolated nociceptive neurons. Consistently, Piezo2 knock-in mice showed substantial behavioural hypersensitivity to noxious mechanical stimuli. Our data indicate that ongoing activity and sensitization of nociceptors, phenomena commonly found in human chronic pain syndromes, can be driven by relieving the voltage-block of PIEZO2 ion channels. Indeed, membrane depolarization caused by multiple noxious stimuli may sensitize nociceptors by relieving voltage-block of PIEZO2 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Sánchez-Carranza
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
| | - Sampurna Chakrabarti
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
| | - Johannes Kühnemund
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
| | - Fred Schwaller
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
| | - Valérie Bégay
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
| | - Jonathan Alexis García-Contreras
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
| | - Lin Wang
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation Laboratory, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 10409, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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3
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Ojeda-Alonso J, Calvo-Enrique L, Paricio-Montesinos R, Kumar R, Zhang MD, Poulet JFA, Ernfors P, Lewin GR. Sensory Schwann cells set perceptual thresholds for touch and selectively regulate mechanical nociception. Nat Commun 2024; 15:898. [PMID: 38320986 PMCID: PMC10847425 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44845-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous work identified nociceptive Schwann cells that can initiate pain. Consistent with the existence of inherently mechanosensitive sensory Schwann cells, we found that in mice, the mechanosensory function of almost all nociceptors, including those signaling fast pain, were dependent on sensory Schwann cells. In polymodal nociceptors, sensory Schwann cells signal mechanical, but not cold or heat pain. Terminal Schwann cells also surround mechanoreceptor nerve-endings within the Meissner's corpuscle and in hair follicle lanceolate endings that both signal vibrotactile touch. Within Meissner´s corpuscles, two molecularly and functionally distinct sensory Schwann cells positive for Sox10 and Sox2 differentially modulate rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor function. Using optogenetics we show that Meissner's corpuscle Schwann cells are necessary for the perception of low threshold vibrotactile stimuli. These results show that sensory Schwann cells within diverse glio-neural mechanosensory end-organs are sensors for mechanical pain as well as necessary for touch perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ojeda-Alonso
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Calvo-Enrique
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Patología, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos
- Neural Circuits and Behavior, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e. V. (DZNE), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology Washington University School of Medicine, CB 8108, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ming-Dong Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - James F A Poulet
- Neural Circuits and Behavior, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrik Ernfors
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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4
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Marzulli M, Hall BL, Zhang M, Goins WF, Cohen JB, Glorioso JC. Novel mutations in U L24 and gH rescue efficient infection of an HSV vector retargeted to TrkA. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 30:208-220. [PMID: 37519407 PMCID: PMC10384243 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Transductional targeting of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-based gene therapy vectors offers the potential for improved tissue-specific delivery and can be achieved by modification of the viral entry machinery to incorporate ligands that bind the desired cell surface proteins. The interaction of nerve growth factor (NGF) with tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) is essential for survival of sensory neurons during development and is involved in chronic pain signaling. We targeted HSV infection to TrkA-bearing cells by replacing the signal peptide and HVEM binding domain of glycoprotein D (gD) with pre-pro-NGF. This TrkA-targeted virus (KNGF) infected cells via both nectin-1 and TrkA. However, infection through TrkA was inefficient, prompting a genetic search for KNGF mutants showing enhanced infection following repeat passage on TrkA-expressing cells. These studies revealed unique point mutations in envelope glycoprotein gH and in UL24, a factor absent from mature particles. Together these mutations rescued efficient infection of TrkA-expressing cells, including neurons, and facilitated the production of a completely retargeted KNGF derivative. These studies provide insight into HSV vector improvements that will allow production of replication-defective TrkA-targeted HSV for delivery to the peripheral nervous system and may be applied to other retargeted vector studies in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Marzulli
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bonnie L. Hall
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mingdi Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - William F. Goins
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Justus B. Cohen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Joseph C. Glorioso
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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5
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Ojeda-Alonso J, Bégay V, Garcia-Contreras JA, Campos-Pérez AF, Purfürst B, Lewin GR. Lack of evidence for participation of TMEM150C in sensory mechanotransduction. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:e202213098. [PMID: 36256908 PMCID: PMC9582506 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The membrane protein TMEM150C has been proposed to form a mechanosensitive ion channel that is required for normal proprioceptor function. Here, we examined whether expression of TMEM150C in neuroblastoma cells lacking Piezo1 is associated with the appearance of mechanosensitive currents. Using three different modes of mechanical stimuli, indentation, membrane stretch, and substrate deflection, we could not evoke mechanosensitive currents in cells expressing TMEM150C. We next asked if TMEM150C is necessary for the normal mechanosensitivity of cutaneous sensory neurons. We used an available mouse model in which the Tmem150c locus was disrupted through the insertion of a LacZ cassette with a splice acceptor that should lead to transcript truncation. Analysis of these mice indicated that ablation of the Tmem150c gene was not complete in sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Using a CRISPR/Cas9 strategy, we made a second mouse model in which a large part of the Tmem150c gene was deleted and established that these Tmem150c-/- mice completely lack TMEM150C protein in the DRGs. We used an ex vivo skin nerve preparation to characterize the mechanosenstivity of mechanoreceptors and nociceptors in the glabrous skin of the Tmem150c-/- mice. We found no quantitative alterations in the physiological properties of any type of cutaneous sensory fiber in Tmem150c-/- mice. Since it has been claimed that TMEM150C is required for normal proprioceptor function, we made a quantitative analysis of locomotion in Tmem150c-/- mice. Here again, we found no indication that there was altered gait in Tmem150c-/- mice compared to wild-type controls. In summary, we conclude that existing mouse models that have been used to investigate TMEM150C function in vivo are problematic. Furthermore, we could find no evidence that TMEM150C forms a mechanosensitive channel or that it is necessary for the normal mechanosensitivity of cutaneous sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ojeda-Alonso
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valérie Bégay
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Alexis Garcia-Contreras
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Fernanda Campos-Pérez
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Purfürst
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gary R. Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
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6
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Schrenk-Siemens K, Pohle J, Rostock C, Abd El Hay M, Lam RM, Szczot M, Lu S, Chesler AT, Siemens J. Human Stem Cell-Derived TRPV1-Positive Sensory Neurons: A New Tool to Study Mechanisms of Sensitization. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182905. [PMID: 36139481 PMCID: PMC9497105 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatosensation, the detection and transduction of external and internal stimuli such as temperature or mechanical force, is vital to sustaining our bodily integrity. But still, some of the mechanisms of distinct stimuli detection and transduction are not entirely understood, especially when noxious perception turns into chronic pain. Over the past decade major progress has increased our understanding in areas such as mechanotransduction or sensory neuron classification. However, it is in particular the access to human pluripotent stem cells and the possibility of generating and studying human sensory neurons that has enriched the somatosensory research field. Based on our previous work, we describe here the generation of human stem cell-derived nociceptor-like cells. We show that by varying the differentiation strategy, we can produce different nociceptive subpopulations with different responsiveness to nociceptive stimuli such as capsaicin. Functional as well as deep sequencing analysis demonstrated that one protocol in particular allowed the generation of a mechano-nociceptive sensory neuron population, homogeneously expressing TRPV1. Accordingly, we find the cells to homogenously respond to capsaicin, to become sensitized upon inflammatory stimuli, and to respond to temperature stimulation. The efficient and homogenous generation of these neurons make them an ideal translational tool to study mechanisms of sensitization, also in the context of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Schrenk-Siemens
- Department of Pharmacology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Correspondence: (K.S.-S.); (J.S.)
| | - Jörg Pohle
- Department of Pharmacology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Translational Disease Understanding, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstr. 6, 52078 Aachen, Germany
| | - Charlotte Rostock
- Department of Pharmacology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Muad Abd El Hay
- Department of Pharmacology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute, Deutschordenstr. 46, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ruby M. Lam
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH, 35A Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Marcin Szczot
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH, 35A Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 58330 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Shiying Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Oliver Wyman GmbH, Muellerstr. 3, 80469 Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander T. Chesler
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH, 35A Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jan Siemens
- Department of Pharmacology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Correspondence: (K.S.-S.); (J.S.)
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7
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Nemenov MI, Singleton JR, Premkumar LS. Role of Mechanoinsensitive Nociceptors in Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy. Curr Diabetes Rev 2022; 18:e081221198649. [PMID: 34879806 DOI: 10.2174/1573399818666211208101555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cutaneous mechanisms that trigger spontaneous neuropathic pain in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) are far from clear. Two types of nociceptors are found within the epidermal and dermal skin layers. Small-diameter lightly myelinated Aδ and unmyelinated C cutaneous mechano and heat-sensitive (AMH and CMH) and C mechanoinsensitive (CMi) nociceptors transmit pain from the periphery to central nervous system. AMH and CMH fibers are mainly located in the epidermis, and CMi fibers are distributed in the dermis. In DPN, dying back intra-epidermal AMH and CMH fibers leads to reduced pain sensitivity, and the patients exhibit significantly increased pain thresholds to acute pain when tested using traditional methods. The role of CMi fibers in painful neuropathies has not been fully explored. Microneurography has been the only tool to access CMi fibers and differentiate AMH, CMH, and CMi fiber types. Due to the complexity, its use is impractical in clinical settings. In contrast, a newly developed diode laser fiber selective stimulation (DLss) technique allows to safely and selectively stimulate Aδ and C fibers in the superficial and deep skin layers. DLss data demonstrate that patients with painful DPN have increased Aδ fiber pain thresholds, while C-fiber thresholds are intact because, in these patients, CMi fibers are abnormally spontaneously active. It is also possible to determine the involvement of CMi fibers by measuring the area of DLss-induced neurogenic axon reflex flare. The differences in AMH, CMH, and CMi fibers identify patients with painful and painless neuropathy. In this review, we will discuss the role of CMi fibers in PDPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail I Nemenov
- Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Lasmed LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | | | - Louis S Premkumar
- Department of Pharmacology, SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois, USA and Ion Channel Pharmacology LLC, Springfield, IL, USA
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8
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The cellular and molecular basis of somatosensory neuron development. Neuron 2021; 109:3736-3757. [PMID: 34592169 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Primary somatosensory neurons convey salient information about our external environment and internal state to the CNS, allowing us to detect, perceive, and react to a wide range of innocuous and noxious stimuli. Pseudo-unipolar in shape, and among the largest (longest) cells of most mammals, dorsal root ganglia (DRG) somatosensory neurons have peripheral axons that extend into skin, muscle, viscera, or bone and central axons that innervate the spinal cord and brainstem, where they synaptically engage the central somatosensory circuitry. Here, we review the diversity of mammalian DRG neuron subtypes and the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that control their development. We describe classical and contemporary advances that frame our understanding of DRG neurogenesis, transcriptional specification of DRG neurons, and the establishment of morphological, physiological, and synaptic diversification across somatosensory neuron subtypes.
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9
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Kampanis V, Tolou-Dabbaghian B, Zhou L, Roth W, Puttagunta R. Cyclic Stretch of Either PNS or CNS Located Nerves Can Stimulate Neurite Outgrowth. Cells 2020; 10:cells10010032. [PMID: 33379276 PMCID: PMC7824691 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) does not recover from traumatic axonal injury, but the peripheral nervous system (PNS) does. We hypothesize that this fundamental difference in regenerative capacity may be based upon the absence of stimulatory mechanical forces in the CNS due to the protective rigidity of the vertebral column and skull. We developed a bioreactor to apply low-strain cyclic axonal stretch to adult rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) connected to either the peripheral or central nerves in an explant model for inducing axonal growth. In response, larger diameter DRG neurons, mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors showed enhanced neurite outgrowth as well as increased Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF3).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Kampanis
- Laboratory for Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany; (V.K.); (B.T.-D.)
| | - Bahardokht Tolou-Dabbaghian
- Laboratory for Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany; (V.K.); (B.T.-D.)
| | - Luming Zhou
- Laboratory of NeuroRegeneration and Repair, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
| | - Wolfgang Roth
- Laboratory for Experimental Neurorehabilitation, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Radhika Puttagunta
- Laboratory for Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany; (V.K.); (B.T.-D.)
- Correspondence:
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10
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Nikolaev YA, Feketa VV, Anderson EO, Schneider ER, Gracheva EO, Bagriantsev SN. Lamellar cells in Pacinian and Meissner corpuscles are touch sensors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabe6393. [PMID: 33328243 PMCID: PMC7744075 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe6393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The skin covering the human palm and other specialized tactile organs contains a high density of mechanosensory corpuscles tuned to detect transient pressure and vibration. These corpuscles comprise a sensory afferent neuron surrounded by lamellar cells. The neuronal afferent is thought to be the mechanical sensor, whereas the function of lamellar cells is unknown. We show that lamellar cells within Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles detect tactile stimuli. We develop a preparation of bill skin from tactile-specialist ducks that permits electrophysiological recordings from lamellar cells and demonstrate that they contain mechanically gated ion channels. We show that lamellar cells from Meissner corpuscles generate mechanically evoked action potentials using R-type voltage-gated calcium channels. These findings provide the first evidence for R-type channel-dependent action potentials in non-neuronal cells and demonstrate that lamellar cells actively detect touch. We propose that Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles use neuronal and non-neuronal mechanoreception to detect mechanical signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yury A Nikolaev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Viktor V Feketa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Evan O Anderson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Eve R Schneider
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Elena O Gracheva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sviatoslav N Bagriantsev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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11
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Behrendt M, Gruss F, Enzeroth R, Dembla S, Zhao S, Crassous PA, Mohr F, Nys M, Louros N, Gallardo R, Zorzini V, Wagner D, Economou A, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J, Philipp SE, Rohacs T, Ulens C, Oberwinkler J. The structural basis for an on-off switch controlling Gβγ-mediated inhibition of TRPM3 channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:29090-29100. [PMID: 33122432 PMCID: PMC7682392 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001177117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
TRPM3 channels play important roles in the detection of noxious heat and in inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia. The activity of these ion channels in somatosensory neurons is tightly regulated by µ-opioid receptors through the signaling of Gβγ proteins, thereby reducing TRPM3-mediated pain. We show here that Gβγ directly binds to a domain of 10 amino acids in TRPM3 and solve a cocrystal structure of this domain together with Gβγ. Using these data and mutational analysis of full-length proteins, we pinpoint three amino acids in TRPM3 and their interacting partners in Gβ1 that are individually necessary for TRPM3 inhibition by Gβγ. The 10-amino-acid Gβγ-interacting domain in TRPM3 is subject to alternative splicing. Its inclusion in or exclusion from TRPM3 channel proteins therefore provides a mechanism for switching on or off the inhibitory action that Gβγ proteins exert on TRPM3 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Behrendt
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Gruss
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raissa Enzeroth
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Sandeep Dembla
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Siyuan Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103
| | - Pierre-Antoine Crassous
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103
| | - Florian Mohr
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Mieke Nys
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nikolaos Louros
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rodrigo Gallardo
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valentina Zorzini
- Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Doris Wagner
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Anastassios Economou
- Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephan E Philipp
- Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität des Saarlandes, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Tibor Rohacs
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103
| | - Chris Ulens
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Johannes Oberwinkler
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany;
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, 35032 Marburg, Germany
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12
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Michel N, Narayanan P, Shomroni O, Schmidt M. Maturational Changes in Mouse Cutaneous Touch and Piezo2-Mediated Mechanotransduction. Cell Rep 2020; 32:107912. [PMID: 32697985 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The age of studied animals has a profound impact on experimental outcomes in animal-based research. In mice, age influences molecular, morphological, physiological, and behavioral parameters, particularly during rapid postnatal growth and maturation until adulthood (at 12 weeks of age). Despite this knowledge, most biomedical studies use a wide-spanning age range from 4 to 12 weeks, raising concerns about reproducibility and potential masking of relevant age differences. Here, using mouse behavior and electrophysiology in cultured dorsal root ganglia (DRG), we reveal a decline in behavioral cutaneous touch sensitivity and Piezo2-mediated mechanotransduction in vitro during mouse maturation but not thereafter. In addition, we identify distinct transcript changes in individual Piezo2-expressing mechanosensitive DRG neurons by combining electrophysiology with single-cell RNA sequencing (patch-seq). Taken together, our study emphasizes the need for accurate age matching and uncovers hitherto unknown maturational plasticity in cutaneous touch at the level of behavior, mechanotransduction, and transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Michel
- Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine and University of Goettingen, Somatosensory Signaling and Systems Biology Group, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Pratibha Narayanan
- Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine and University of Goettingen, Somatosensory Signaling and Systems Biology Group, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Orr Shomroni
- NGS Integrative Genomics, Department of Human Genetics at the University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Manuela Schmidt
- Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine and University of Goettingen, Somatosensory Signaling and Systems Biology Group, 37075 Goettingen, Germany.
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13
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Wang Y, Wu H, Fontanet P, Codeluppi S, Akkuratova N, Petitpré C, Xue-Franzén Y, Niederreither K, Sharma A, Da Silva F, Comai G, Agirman G, Palumberi D, Linnarsson S, Adameyko I, Moqrich A, Schedl A, La Manno G, Hadjab S, Lallemend F. A cell fitness selection model for neuronal survival during development. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4137. [PMID: 31515492 PMCID: PMC6742664 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12119-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental cell death plays an important role in the construction of functional neural circuits. In vertebrates, the canonical view proposes a selection of the surviving neurons through stochastic competition for target-derived neurotrophic signals, implying an equal potential for neurons to compete. Here we show an alternative cell fitness selection of neurons that is defined by a specific neuronal heterogeneity code. Proprioceptive sensory neurons that will undergo cell death and those that will survive exhibit different molecular signatures that are regulated by retinoic acid and transcription factors, and are independent of the target and neurotrophins. These molecular features are genetically encoded, representing two distinct subgroups of neurons with contrasted functional maturation states and survival outcome. Thus, in this model, a heterogeneous code of intrinsic cell fitness in neighboring neurons provides differential competitive advantage resulting in the selection of cells with higher capacity to survive and functionally integrate into neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqiao Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Haohao Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paula Fontanet
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simone Codeluppi
- Unit of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Natalia Akkuratova
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
| | - Charles Petitpré
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Karen Niederreither
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR7104, Inserm U964, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Anil Sharma
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fabio Da Silva
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, CNRS, iBV, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Glenda Comai
- Stem Cells & Development - Institut Pasteur - CNRS UMR3738, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Gulistan Agirman
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Domenico Palumberi
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sten Linnarsson
- Unit of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor Adameyko
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
- Center for Brain Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aziz Moqrich
- Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille (IBDM), UMR 7288, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Andreas Schedl
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, CNRS, iBV, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Gioele La Manno
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Saida Hadjab
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - François Lallemend
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm node, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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14
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Schrenk-siemens K, Pohle J, Rostock C, El Hay MA, Lam RM, Szczot M, Lu S, Chesler AT, Siemens J. HESC-derived sensory neurons reveal an unexpected role for PIEZO2 in nociceptor mechanotransduction.. [DOI: 10.1101/741660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSomatosensation, the detection and transduction of external and internal stimuli, has fascinated scientists for centuries. But still, some of the mechanisms how distinct stimuli are detected and transduced are not entirely understood. Over the past decade major progress has increased our understanding in areas such as mechanotransduction or sensory neuron classification. Additionally, the accessibility to human pluripotent stem cells and the possibility to generate and study human sensory neurons has enriched the somatosensory research field.Based on our previous work, the generation of functional human mechanoreceptors, we describe here the generation of hESC-derived nociceptor-like cells. We show that by varying the differentiation strategy, we can produce different nociceptive subpopulations. One protocol in particular allowed the generation of a sensory neuron population, homogeneously expressing TRPV1, a prototypical marker for nociceptors. Accordingly, we find the cells to homogenously respond to capsaicin, to become sensitized upon inflammatory stimuli, and to respond to temperature stimulation.Surprisingly, all of the generated subtypes show mechano-nociceptive characteristics and, quite unexpectedly, loss of mechanotransduction in the absence of PIEZO2.
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15
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Taberner FJ, Prato V, Schaefer I, Schrenk-Siemens K, Heppenstall PA, Lechner SG. Structure-guided examination of the mechanogating mechanism of PIEZO2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:14260-14269. [PMID: 31235572 PMCID: PMC6628815 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1905985116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Piezo channels are mechanically activated ion channels that confer mechanosensitivity to a variety of different cell types. Piezos oligomerize as propeller-shaped homotrimers that are thought to locally curve the membrane into spherical domes that project into the cell. While several studies have identified domains and amino acids that control important properties such as ion permeability and selectivity as well as inactivation kinetics and voltage sensitivity, only little is known about intraprotein interactions that govern mechanosensitivity-the most unique feature of PIEZOs. Here we used site-directed mutagenesis and patch-clamp recordings to investigate the mechanogating mechanism of PIEZO2. We demonstrate that charged amino acids at the interface between the beam domain-i.e., a long α-helix that protrudes from the intracellular side of the "propeller" blade toward the inner vestibule of the channel-and the C-terminal domain (CTD) as well as hydrophobic interactions between the highly conserved Y2807 of the CTD and pore-lining helices are required to ensure normal mechanosensitivity of PIEZO2. Moreover, single-channel recordings indicate that a previously unrecognized intrinsically disordered domain located adjacent to the beam acts as a cytosolic plug that limits ion permeation possibly by clogging the inner vestibule of both PIEZO1 and PIEZO2. Thus, we have identified several intraprotein domain interfaces that control the mechanical activation of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 and which might thus serve as promising targets for drugs that modulate the mechanosensitivity of Piezo channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Taberner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Prato
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Irina Schaefer
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Paul A Heppenstall
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Stefan G Lechner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
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16
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Abstract
Beyond their well-known role in embryonic development of the central and peripheral nervous system, neurotrophins, particularly nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, exert an essential role in pain production and sensitization. This has mainly been studied within the framework of somatic pain, and even antibodies (tanezumab and fasinumab) have recently been developed for their use in chronic somatic painful conditions, such as osteoarthritis or low back pain. However, data suggest that neurotrophins also exert an important role in the occurrence of visceral pain and visceral sensitization. Visceral pain is a distressing symptom that prompts many consultations and is typically encountered in both 'organic' (generally inflammatory) and 'functional' (displaying no obvious structural changes in routine clinical evaluations) disorders of the gut, such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, respectively. The present review provides a summary of neurotrophins as a molecular family and their role in pain in general and addresses recent investigations of the involvement of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in visceral pain, particularly that associated with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
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17
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Prato V, Taberner FJ, Hockley JRF, Callejo G, Arcourt A, Tazir B, Hammer L, Schad P, Heppenstall PA, Smith ES, Lechner SG. Functional and Molecular Characterization of Mechanoinsensitive "Silent" Nociceptors. Cell Rep 2018; 21:3102-3115. [PMID: 29241539 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia (pain hypersensitivity) are cardinal signs of inflammation. Although the mechanism underlying thermal hyperalgesia is well understood, the cellular and molecular basis of mechanical hyperalgesia is poorly described. Here, we have identified a subset of peptidergic C-fiber nociceptors that are insensitive to noxious mechanical stimuli under normal conditions but become sensitized to such stimuli when exposed to the inflammatory mediator nerve growth factor (NGF). Strikingly, NGF did not affect mechanosensitivity of other nociceptors. We show that these mechanoinsensitive "silent" nociceptors are characterized by the expression of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-3 (CHRNA3) and that the mechanically gated ion channel PIEZO2 mediates NGF-induced mechanosensitivity in these neurons. Retrograde tracing revealed that CHRNA3+ nociceptors account for ∼50% of all peptidergic nociceptive afferents innervating visceral organs and deep somatic tissues. Hence, our data suggest that NGF-induced "un-silencing" of CHRNA3+ nociceptors significantly contributes to the development of mechanical hyperalgesia during inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Prato
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francisco J Taberner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; EMBL Monterotondo, Via Ramarini 32, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - James R F Hockley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Gerard Callejo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Alice Arcourt
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bassim Tazir
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leonie Hammer
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paulina Schad
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Ewan S Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Stefan G Lechner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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18
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Feito J, García-Suárez O, García-Piqueras J, García-Mesa Y, Pérez-Sánchez A, Suazo I, Cabo R, Suárez-Quintanilla J, Cobo J, Vega JA. The development of human digital Meissner's and Pacinian corpuscles. Ann Anat 2018; 219:8-24. [PMID: 29842990 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Meissner's and Pacinian corpuscles are cutaneous mechanoreceptors responsible for different modalities of touch. The development of these sensory formations in humans is poorly known, especially regarding the acquisition of the typical immunohistochemical profile related to their full functional maturity. Here we used a panel of antibodies (to specifically label the main corpuscular components: axon, Schwann-related cells and endoneurial-perineurial-related cells) to investigate the development of digital Meissner's and Pacinian corpuscles in a representative sample covering from 11 weeks of estimated gestational age (wega) to adulthood. Development of Pacinian corpuscles starts at 13 wega, and it is completed at 4 months of life, although their basic structure and immunohistochemical characteristics are reached at 36 wega. During development, around the axon, a complex network of S100 positive Schwann-related processes is progressively compacted to form the inner core, while the surrounding mesenchyme is organized and forms the outer core and the capsule. Meissner's corpuscles start to develop at 22 wega and complete their typical morphology and immunohistochemical profile at 8 months of life. In developing Meissner's corpuscles, the axons establish complex relationships with the epidermis and are progressively covered by Schwann-like cells until they complete the mature arrangement late in postnatal life. The present results demonstrate an asynchronous development of the Meissner's and Pacini's corpuscles and show that there is not a total correlation between morphological and immunohistochemical maturation. The correlation of the present results with touch-induced cortical activity in developing humans is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Feito
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain; Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Salamanca, Spain
| | - O García-Suárez
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - J García-Piqueras
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - Y García-Mesa
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - A Pérez-Sánchez
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Salamanca, Spain
| | - I Suazo
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, Chile
| | - R Cabo
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - J Suárez-Quintanilla
- Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - J Cobo
- Departamento de Cirugía y Especialidades Médico-Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain; Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain
| | - J A Vega
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOS, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, Chile.
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19
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Functional imaging in microfluidic chambers reveals sensory neuron sensitivity is differentially regulated between neuronal regions. Pain 2018; 159:1413-1425. [DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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20
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Sneddon LU. Comparative Physiology of Nociception and Pain. Physiology (Bethesda) 2018; 33:63-73. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00022.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of diverse animal groups allows us to discern the evolution of the neurobiology of nociception. Nociception functions as an important alarm system alerting the individual to potential and actual tissue damage. All animals possess nociceptors, and, in some animal groups, it has been demonstrated that there are consistent physiological mechanisms underpinning the nociceptive system. This review considers the comparative biology of nociception and pain from an evolutionary perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne U. Sneddon
- University of Liverpool, Institute of Integrative Biology, The BioScience Building, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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21
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Schneider ER, Anderson EO, Mastrotto M, Matson JD, Schulz VP, Gallagher PG, LaMotte RH, Gracheva EO, Bagriantsev SN. Molecular basis of tactile specialization in the duck bill. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:13036-13041. [PMID: 29109250 PMCID: PMC5724259 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708793114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tactile-foraging ducks are specialist birds known for their touch-dependent feeding behavior. They use dabbling, straining, and filtering to find edible matter in murky water, relying on the sense of touch in their bill. Here, we present the molecular characterization of embryonic duck bill, which we show contains a high density of mechanosensory corpuscles innervated by functional rapidly adapting trigeminal afferents. In contrast to chicken, a visually foraging bird, the majority of duck trigeminal neurons are mechanoreceptors that express the Piezo2 ion channel and produce slowly inactivating mechano-current before hatching. Furthermore, duck neurons have a significantly reduced mechano-activation threshold and elevated mechano-current amplitude. Cloning and electrophysiological characterization of duck Piezo2 in a heterologous expression system shows that duck Piezo2 is functionally similar to the mouse ortholog but with prolonged inactivation kinetics, particularly at positive potentials. Knockdown of Piezo2 in duck trigeminal neurons attenuates mechano current with intermediate and slow inactivation kinetics. This suggests that Piezo2 is capable of contributing to a larger range of mechano-activated currents in duck trigeminal ganglia than in mouse trigeminal ganglia. Our results provide insights into the molecular basis of mechanotransduction in a tactile-specialist vertebrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve R Schneider
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Evan O Anderson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Marco Mastrotto
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Jon D Matson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Vincent P Schulz
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Patrick G Gallagher
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Robert H LaMotte
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Elena O Gracheva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520;
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Sviatoslav N Bagriantsev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520;
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22
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Abstract
The sensation of touch is mediated by mechanosensory neurons that are embedded in skin and relay signals from the periphery to the central nervous system. During embryogenesis, axons elongate from these neurons to make contact with the developing skin. Concurrently, the epithelium of skin transforms from a homogeneous tissue into a heterogeneous organ that is made up of distinct layers and microdomains. Throughout this process, each neuronal terminal must form connections with an appropriate skin region to serve its function. This Review presents current knowledge of the development of the sensory microdomains in mammalian skin and the mechanosensory neurons that innervate them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair A Jenkins
- Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics and Department of Dermatology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ellen A Lumpkin
- Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics and Department of Dermatology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY 10032, USA
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23
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Omerbašić D, Smith ESJ, Moroni M, Homfeld J, Eigenbrod O, Bennett NC, Reznick J, Faulkes CG, Selbach M, Lewin GR. Hypofunctional TrkA Accounts for the Absence of Pain Sensitization in the African Naked Mole-Rat. Cell Rep 2017; 17:748-758. [PMID: 27732851 PMCID: PMC5081396 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The naked mole-rat is a subterranean rodent lacking several pain behaviors found in humans, rats, and mice. For example, nerve growth factor (NGF), an important mediator of pain sensitization, fails to produce thermal hyperalgesia in naked mole-rats. The sensitization of capsaicin-sensitive TRPV1 ion channels is necessary for NGF-induced hyperalgesia, but naked mole-rats have fully functional TRPV1 channels. We show that exposing isolated naked mole-rat nociceptors to NGF does not sensitize TRPV1. However, the naked mole-rat NGF receptor TrkA displays a reduced ability to engage signal transduction pathways that sensitize TRPV1. Between one- and three-amino-acid substitutions in the kinase domain of the naked mole-rat TrkA are sufficient to render the receptor hypofunctional, and this is associated with the absence of heat hyperalgesia. Our data suggest that evolution has selected for a TrkA variant that abolishes a robust nociceptive behavior in this species but is still compatible with species fitness. TRPV1 ion channels in naked mole-rat nociceptors are not sensitized by NGF Naked mole-rat TRPV1 channels are sensitized by NGF in mouse nociceptors NGF activation of naked mole-rat TrkA receptors does not sensitize TRPV1 One to three amino acids in the naked mole-rat TrkA receptors may render it hypofunctional
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Affiliation(s)
- Damir Omerbašić
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Proteome Dynamics Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ewan St J Smith
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Mirko Moroni
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Homfeld
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ole Eigenbrod
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, Republic of South Africa
| | - Jane Reznick
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Chris G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Matthias Selbach
- Proteome Dynamics Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Excellence Cluster Neurocure, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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Dembla S, Behrendt M, Mohr F, Goecke C, Sondermann J, Schneider FM, Schmidt M, Stab J, Enzeroth R, Leitner MG, Nuñez-Badinez P, Schwenk J, Nürnberg B, Cohen A, Philipp SE, Greffrath W, Bünemann M, Oliver D, Zakharian E, Schmidt M, Oberwinkler J. Anti-nociceptive action of peripheral mu-opioid receptors by G-beta-gamma protein-mediated inhibition of TRPM3 channels. eLife 2017; 6:26280. [PMID: 28826482 PMCID: PMC5593507 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids, agonists of µ-opioid receptors (µORs), are the strongest pain killers clinically available. Their action includes a strong central component, which also causes important adverse effects. However, µORs are also found on the peripheral endings of nociceptors and their activation there produces meaningful analgesia. The cellular mechanisms downstream of peripheral µORs are not well understood. Here, we show in neurons of murine dorsal root ganglia that pro-nociceptive TRPM3 channels, present in the peripheral parts of nociceptors, are strongly inhibited by µOR activation, much more than other TRP channels in the same compartment, like TRPV1 and TRPA1. Inhibition of TRPM3 channels occurs via a short signaling cascade involving Gβγ proteins, which form a complex with TRPM3. Accordingly, activation of peripheral µORs in vivo strongly attenuates TRPM3-dependent pain. Our data establish TRPM3 inhibition as important consequence of peripheral µOR activation indicating that pharmacologically antagonizing TRPM3 may be a useful analgesic strategy. There are very few treatments available for people suffering from strong or long-lasting pain. Currently, substances called opioids – which include the well-known drug morphine – are the strongest painkillers. However, these drugs also cause harmful side effects, which makes them less useful. Like all drugs, opioids mediate their effects by interacting with molecules in the body. In the case of opioids, these interacting molecules belong to a group of receptor proteins called G-protein coupled receptors (or GPCRs for short). These opioid receptors are widely distributed in the nerve cells and brain regions that detect and transmit pain signals. It was poorly understood how activation of opioid receptors reduces the activity of pain-sensing nerve cells, however several lines of evidence had suggested that a protein called TRPM3 might be involved. TRPM3 is a channel protein that allows sodium and calcium ions to enter into nerve cells by forming pores in cell membranes, and mice that lack this protein are less sensitive to certain kinds of pain. Dembla, Behrendt et al. now show that activating opioid receptors on nerve cells from mice, with morphine and a similar substance, rapidly reduces the flow of calcium ions through TRPM3 channels. Further experiments confirmed that activating opioid receptors in a mouse’s paw also reduced the pain caused when TRPM3 proteins are activated. GPCRs interact with a group of small proteins called G-proteins that, when activated by the receptor, split into two subunits. Based on studies with human kidney cells, Dembla, Behrendt et al. found the so-called G-beta-gamma subunit then carries the signal from the opioid receptor to TRPM3. Two independent studies by Quallo et al. and Badheka, Yudin et al. also report similar findings. These new findings show that drugs already used in the treatment of pain can indirectly alter how TRPM3 works in a dramatic way. These results might help scientists to find drugs that work in a more direct way to dial down the activity of TRPM3 and to combat pain with fewer side effects. Though first it will be important to confirm these new findings in human nerve cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Dembla
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marc Behrendt
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Mohr
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christian Goecke
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia Sondermann
- Max-Planck-Institut für Experimentelle Medizin, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franziska M Schneider
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marlene Schmidt
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia Stab
- Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität des Saarlandes, Homburg, Germany
| | - Raissa Enzeroth
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Michael G Leitner
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Paulina Nuñez-Badinez
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center of Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jochen Schwenk
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Nürnberg
- Abteilung für Pharmakologie und Experimentelle Therapie, Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alejandro Cohen
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Life Sciences Research Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Stephan E Philipp
- Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität des Saarlandes, Homburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Greffrath
- Department of Neurophysiology, Center of Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Moritz Bünemann
- Institut für Pharmakologie und Klinische Pharmazie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Oliver
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Eleonora Zakharian
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, United States
| | - Manuela Schmidt
- Max-Planck-Institut für Experimentelle Medizin, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Oberwinkler
- Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Isensee J, Schild C, Schwede F, Hucho T. Crosstalk from cAMP to ERK1/2 emerges during postnatal maturation of nociceptive neurons and is maintained during aging. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:2134-2146. [PMID: 28515230 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.197327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Maturation of nociceptive neurons depends on changes in transcription factors, ion channels and neuropeptides. Mature nociceptors initiate pain in part by drastically reducing the activation threshold via intracellular sensitization signaling. Whether sensitization signaling also changes during development and aging remains so far unknown. Using a novel automated microscopy approach, we quantified changes in intracellular signaling protein expression and in their signaling dynamics, as well as changes in intracellular signaling cascade wiring, in sensory neurons from newborn to senescent (24 months of age) rats. We found that nociceptive subgroups defined by the signaling components protein kinase A (PKA)-RIIβ (also known as PRKAR2B) and CaMKIIα (also known as CAMK2A) developed at around postnatal day 10, the time of nociceptor maturation. The integrative nociceptor marker, PKA-RIIβ, allowed subgroup segregation earlier than could be achieved by assessing the classical markers TRPV1 and Nav1.8 (also known as SCN10A). Signaling kinetics remained constant over lifetime despite in part strong changes in the expression levels. Strikingly, we found a mechanism important for neuronal memory - i.e. the crosstalk from cAMP and PKA to ERK1 and ERK2 (ERK1/2, also known as MAPK3 and MAPK1, respectively) - to emerge postnatally. Thus, maturation of nociceptors is closely accompanied by altered expression, activation and connectivity of signaling pathways known to be central for pain sensitization and neuronal memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg Isensee
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Experimental Anesthesiology and Pain Research, University Hospital of Cologne, Robert Koch Str. 10, Cologne D-50931, Germany
| | - Cosimo Schild
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Experimental Anesthesiology and Pain Research, University Hospital of Cologne, Robert Koch Str. 10, Cologne D-50931, Germany
| | - Frank Schwede
- BIOLOG Life Science Institute, Flughafendamm 9A, Bremen D-28199, Germany
| | - Tim Hucho
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Experimental Anesthesiology and Pain Research, University Hospital of Cologne, Robert Koch Str. 10, Cologne D-50931, Germany
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26
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Bernal Sierra YA, Haseleu J, Kozlenkov A, Bégay V, Lewin GR. Genetic Tracing of Ca v3.2 T-Type Calcium Channel Expression in the Peripheral Nervous System. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:70. [PMID: 28360836 PMCID: PMC5350092 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterizing the distinct functions of the T-type ion channel subunits Cav3.1, 3.2 or 3.3 has proven difficult due to their highly conserved amino-acid sequences and the lack of pharmacological blockers specific for each subunit. To precisely determine the expression pattern of the Cav3.2 channel in the nervous system we generated two knock-in mouse strains that express EGFP or Cre recombinase under the control of the Cav3.2 gene promoter. We show that in the brains of these animals, the Cav3.2 channel is predominantly expressed in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In the peripheral nervous system, the activation of the promoter starts at E9.5 in neural crest cells that will give rise to dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, but not sympathetic neurons. As development progresses the number of DRG cells expressing the Cav3.2 channel reaches around 7% of the DRG at E16.5, and remains constant until E18.5. Characterization of sensory neuron subpopulations at E18.5 showed that EGFP+ cells are a heterogeneous population consisting mainly of TrkB+ and TrkC+ cells, while only a small percentage of DRG cells were TrkA+. Genetic tracing of the sensory nerve end-organ innervation of the skin showed that the activity of the Cav3.2 channel promoter in sensory progenitors marks many mechanoreceptor and nociceptor endings, but spares slowly adapting mechanoreceptors with endings associated with Merkel cells. Our genetic analysis reveals for the first time that progenitors that express the Cav3.2 T-type calcium channel, defines a sensory specific lineage that populates a large proportion of the DRG. Using our Cav3.2-Cre mice together with AAV viruses containing a conditional fluorescent reporter (tdTomato) we could also show that Cre expression is largely restricted to two functionally distinct sensory neuron types in the adult ganglia. Cav3.2 positive neurons innervating the skin were found to only form lanceolate endings on hair follicles and are probably identical to D-hair receptors. A second population of nociceptive sensory neurons expressing the Cav3.2 gene was found to be positive for the calcitonin-gene related peptide but these neurons are deep tissue nociceptors that do not innervate the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinth A Bernal Sierra
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Haseleu
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexey Kozlenkov
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Valérie Bégay
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
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27
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Anderson E, Schneider E, Bagriantsev S. Piezo2 in Cutaneous and Proprioceptive Mechanotransduction in Vertebrates. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2017; 79:197-217. [PMID: 28728817 PMCID: PMC5630267 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensitivity is a fundamental physiological capacity, which pertains to all life forms. Progress has been made with regard to understanding mechanosensitivity in bacteria, flies, and worms. In vertebrates, however, the molecular identity of mechanotransducers in somatic and neuronal cells has only started to appear. The Piezo family of mechanogated ion channels marks a pivotal milestone in understanding mechanosensitivity. Piezo1 and Piezo2 have now been shown to participate in a number of processes, ranging from arterial modeling to sensing muscle stretch. In this review, we focus on Piezo2 and its role in mediating mechanosensation and proprioception in vertebrates.
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28
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Small-molecule inhibition of STOML3 oligomerization reverses pathological mechanical hypersensitivity. Nat Neurosci 2016; 20:209-218. [PMID: 27941788 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The skin is equipped with specialized mechanoreceptors that allow the perception of the slightest brush. Indeed, some mechanoreceptors can detect even nanometer-scale movements. Movement is transformed into electrical signals via the gating of mechanically activated ion channels at sensory endings in the skin. The sensitivity of Piezo mechanically gated ion channels is controlled by stomatin-like protein-3 (STOML3), which is required for normal mechanoreceptor function. Here we identify small-molecule inhibitors of STOML3 oligomerization that reversibly reduce the sensitivity of mechanically gated currents in sensory neurons and silence mechanoreceptors in vivo. STOML3 inhibitors in the skin also reversibly attenuate fine touch perception in normal mice. Under pathophysiological conditions following nerve injury or diabetic neuropathy, the slightest touch can produce pain, and here STOML3 inhibitors can reverse mechanical hypersensitivity. Thus, small molecules applied locally to the skin can be used to modulate touch and may represent peripherally available drugs to treat tactile-driven pain following neuropathy.
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29
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Benitez S, Seltzer A, Acosta C. Nociceptor-like rat dorsal root ganglion neurons express the angiotensin-II AT2 receptor throughout development. Int J Dev Neurosci 2016; 56:10-17. [PMID: 27825832 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AT2 receptor (AT2R) plays a functional role in foetal development. Its expression declines in most tissues soon after birth but stays high in sensory areas of the adult nervous system. In the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) the expression pattern of AT2R during development and the identity of the subpopulation expressing it remain unknown. Using a combination of semi-quantitative PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry we examined the expression of AT2R at mRNA and protein levels in rat DRGs from embryonic day 15 (E15) until postnatal day 30 (PN30). We found that both AT2R mRNA and protein levels exhibited only minor (statistically non-significant) fluctuations from E15 to PN30. Detailed quantitative analysis of ABC/DAB AT2R staining showed a) that the receptor was present in most neurons at E15 and E18 and b) that postnatally it was predominantly expressed by small DRG neurons. Given that small neurons are putative C-nociceptors and the proposed role of AT2R in neuropathic pain, we next examined whether these AT2R-positive neurons co-localized with Ret and trkA embryonically and with IB4-binding postnatally. Most AT2R-positive neurons expressed trkA embryonically and bound IB4 postnatally. We found strong positive statistically highly significant correlations between AT2R cytoplasmic%intensities and trkA at E15/E18 and with Ret only at E18. Cytoplasmic AT2R also strongly and positively correlated with IB4-binding at PN3, 15 and 30. Our demonstration that a subpopulation of C-nociceptor-like neurons expresses AT2R during development supports a role for this receptor in neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Benitez
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza (IHEM), Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Alicia Seltzer
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza (IHEM), Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Cristian Acosta
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza (IHEM), Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina.
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30
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M Hao M. Development of Neural Activity in the Enteric Nervous System: Similarities and Differences to Other Parts of the Nervous System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 891:43-51. [PMID: 27379633 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-27592-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
All the neurons and glia of the enteric nervous system (ENS) arise from neural crest-derived cells that migrate into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract during development (Yntema and Hammond 1954; Le Douarin and Teillet 1973). Most of the ENS originates from vagal neural crest cells (NCCs), which arise from the caudal hindbrain region of the neural tube, adjacent to somites 1-7. In the developing mouse, vagal NCCs migrate into the developing oesophagus and stomach at embryonic day (E)9.5, enter the small intestine at E10.5, and colonise the developing GI tract in a rostral-to-caudal wave, reaching the anal end of the colon at E14.5 (Serbedzija et al. 1991; Kapur et al. 1992; Anderson et al. 2006). Recent evidence indicates that there is also trans-mesenteric migration of vagal NCCs, where some NCCs leave the small intestine and migrate directly across the mesentery into the colon (Nishiyama et al. 2012). Sacral NCCs also contribute to a small population of neurons and glia in the colon (Burns and Le Douarin 1998; Wang et al. 2011).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene M Hao
- Laboratory for Enteric Neuroscience, TARGID, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, O&N1, Box 701, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
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31
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Evidence for the involvement of ASIC3 in sensory mechanotransduction in proprioceptors. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11460. [PMID: 27161260 PMCID: PMC4866049 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is involved in acid nociception, but its possible role in neurosensory mechanotransduction is disputed. We report here the generation of Asic3-knockout/eGFPf-knockin mice and subsequent characterization of heterogeneous expression of ASIC3 in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). ASIC3 is expressed in parvalbumin (Pv+) proprioceptor axons innervating muscle spindles. We further generate a floxed allele of Asic3 (Asic3f/f) and probe the role of ASIC3 in mechanotransduction in neurite-bearing Pv+ DRG neurons through localized elastic matrix movements and electrophysiology. Targeted knockout of Asic3 disrupts spindle afferent sensitivity to dynamic stimuli and impairs mechanotransduction in Pv+ DRG neurons because of substrate deformation-induced neurite stretching, but not to direct neurite indentation. In behavioural tasks, global knockout (Asic3−/−) and Pv-Cre::Asic3f/f mice produce similar deficits in grid and balance beam walking tasks. We conclude that, at least in mouse, ASIC3 is a molecular determinant contributing to dynamic mechanosensitivity in proprioceptors. Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is known to play a role in nociception, but its role in low threshold neurosensory mechanotransduction is unclear. Here, the authors target ASIC3 expression in dorsal root ganglion parvalbumin positive neurons and find ASIC3 contributes to dynamic proprioception responses.
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32
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Omerbašić D, Schuhmacher LN, Bernal Sierra YA, Smith ESJ, Lewin GR. ASICs and mammalian mechanoreceptor function. Neuropharmacology 2015; 94:80-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Revised: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Sharif-Naeini R. Contribution of mechanosensitive ion channels to somatosensation. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2015; 131:53-71. [PMID: 25744670 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2014.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mechanotransduction, the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal, is a central mechanism to several physiological functions in mammals. It relies on the function of mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs). Although the first single-channel recording from MSCs dates back to 30 years ago, the identity of the genes encoding MSCs has remained largely elusive. Because these channels have an important role in the development of mechanical hypersensitivity, a better understanding of their function may lead to the identification of selective inhibitors and generate novel therapeutic pathways in the treatment of chronic pain. Here, I will describe our current understanding of the role MSCs may play in somatosensation and the potential candidate genes proposed to encode them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Sharif-Naeini
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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34
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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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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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Benzina O, Cloitre T, Martin M, Raoul C, Gergely C, Scamps F. Morphology and intrinsic excitability of regenerating sensory and motor neurons grown on a line micropattern. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110687. [PMID: 25329060 PMCID: PMC4203813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Axonal regeneration is one of the greatest challenges in severe injuries of peripheral nerve. To provide the bridge needed for regeneration, biological or synthetic tubular nerve constructs with aligned architecture have been developed. A key point for improving axonal regeneration is assessing the effects of substrate geometry on neuronal behavior. In the present study, we used an extracellular matrix-micropatterned substrate comprising 3 µm wide lines aimed to physically mimic the in vivo longitudinal axonal growth of mice peripheral sensory and motor neurons. Adult sensory neurons or embryonic motoneurons were seeded and processed for morphological and electrical activity analyses after two days in vitro. We show that micropattern-guided sensory neurons grow one or two axons without secondary branching. Motoneurons polarity was kept on micropattern with a long axon and small dendrites. The micro-patterned substrate maintains the growth promoting effects of conditioning injury and demonstrates, for the first time, that neurite initiation and extension could be differentially regulated by conditioning injury among DRG sensory neuron subpopulations. The micro-patterned substrate impacts the excitability of sensory neurons and promotes the apparition of firing action potentials characteristic for a subclass of mechanosensitive neurons. The line pattern is quite relevant for assessing the regenerative and developmental growth of sensory and motoneurons and offers a unique model for the analysis of the impact of geometry on the expression and the activity of mechanosensitive channels in DRG sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouafa Benzina
- Université Montpellier 2, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Cloitre
- Université Montpellier 2, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
| | - Marta Martin
- Université Montpellier 2, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
| | - Cédric Raoul
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Inserm UMR1051, the neuroscience institute of Montpellier, Saint Eloi hospital, Montpellier, France
- Université Montpellier 1, 2, Montpellier, France
| | - Csilla Gergely
- Université Montpellier 2, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédérique Scamps
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Inserm UMR1051, the neuroscience institute of Montpellier, Saint Eloi hospital, Montpellier, France
- Université Montpellier 1, 2, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
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37
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Sensory mechanotransduction at membrane-matrix interfaces. Pflugers Arch 2014; 467:121-32. [PMID: 24981693 PMCID: PMC4281363 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-014-1563-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Sensory cells specialized to detect extremely small mechanical changes are common to the auditory and somatosensory systems. It is widely accepted that mechanosensitive channels form the core of the mechanoelectrical transduction in hair cells as well as the somatic sensory neurons that underlie the sense of touch and mechanical pain. Here, we will review how the activation of such channels can be measured in a meaningful physiological context. In particular, we will discuss the idea that mechanosensitive channels normally occur in transmembrane complexes that are anchored to extracellular matrix components (ECM) both in vitro and in vivo. One component of such complexes in sensory neurons is the integral membrane scaffold protein STOML3 which is a robust physiological regulator of native mechanosensitive currents. In order to better characterize such channels in transmembrane complexes, we developed a new electrophysiological method that enables the quantification of mechanosensitive current amplitude and kinetics when activated by a defined matrix movement in cultured cells. The results of such studies strongly support the idea that ion channels in transmembrane complexes are highly tuned to detect movement of the cell membrane in relation to the ECM.
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Rahman T, Smith ESJ. In silico assessment of interaction of sea anemone toxin APETx2 and acid sensing ion channel 3. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2014; 450:384-9. [PMID: 24942880 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.05.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels that are expressed throughout the nervous system and have been implicated in mediating sensory perception of noxious stimuli. Amongst the six ASIC isoforms, ASIC1a, 1b, 2a and 3 form proton-gated homomers, which differ in their activation and inactivation kinetics, expression profiles and pharmacological modulation; protons do not gate ASIC2b and ASIC4. As with many other ion channels, structure-function studies of ASICs have been greatly aided by the discovery of some toxins that act in isoform-specific ways. ASIC3 is predominantly expressed by sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system where it acts to detect acid as a noxious stimulus and thus plays an important role in nociception. ASIC3 is the only ASIC subunit that is inhibited by the sea anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima)-derived toxin APETx2. However, the molecular mechanism by which APETx2 interacts with ASIC3 remains largely unknown. In this study, we made a homology model of ASIC3 and used extensive protein-protein docking to predict for the first time, the probable sites of APETx2 interaction on ASIC3. Additionally, using computational alanine scanning, we also suggest the 'hot-spots' that are likely to be critical for ASIC3-APETx2 interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taufiq Rahman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK.
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
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39
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Tuning Piezo ion channels to detect molecular-scale movements relevant for fine touch. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3520. [PMID: 24662763 PMCID: PMC3973071 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In sensory neurons, mechanotransduction is sensitive, fast and requires
mechanosensitive ion channels. Here we develop a new method to directly monitor
mechanotransduction at defined regions of the cell-substrate interface. We show that
molecular-scale (~13 nm) displacements are sufficient to gate
mechanosensitive currents in mouse touch receptors. Using neurons from knockout
mice, we show that displacement thresholds increase by one order of magnitude in the
absence of stomatin-like protein 3
(STOML3). Piezo1 is the founding member of a class of
mammalian stretch-activated ion channels, and we show that STOML3, but not other stomatin-domain
proteins, brings the activation threshold for Piezo1 and Piezo2 currents down to ~10 nm.
Structure–function experiments localize the Piezo modulatory activity of
STOML3 to the stomatin domain,
and higher-order scaffolds are a prerequisite for function. STOML3 is the first potent modulator of Piezo
channels that tunes the sensitivity of mechanically gated channels to detect
molecular-scale stimuli relevant for fine touch. The stomatin domain protein STOML3 is required for the
sensation of touch. Here, Poole et al. show that STOML3 enhances the activity of
mechanosensitive Piezo1 and Piezo2 ion channels by reducing their activation thresholds,
and that it achieves this through its stomatin domain.
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40
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Lesniak DR, Marshall KL, Wellnitz SA, Jenkins BA, Baba Y, Rasband MN, Gerling GJ, Lumpkin EA. Computation identifies structural features that govern neuronal firing properties in slowly adapting touch receptors. eLife 2014; 3:e01488. [PMID: 24448409 PMCID: PMC3896213 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Touch is encoded by cutaneous sensory neurons with diverse morphologies and physiological outputs. How neuronal architecture influences response properties is unknown. To elucidate the origin of firing patterns in branched mechanoreceptors, we combined neuroanatomy, electrophysiology and computation to analyze mouse slowly adapting type I (SAI) afferents. These vertebrate touch receptors, which innervate Merkel cells, encode shape and texture. SAI afferents displayed a high degree of variability in touch-evoked firing and peripheral anatomy. The functional consequence of differences in anatomical architecture was tested by constructing network models representing sequential steps of mechanosensory encoding: skin displacement at touch receptors, mechanotransduction and action-potential initiation. A systematic survey of arbor configurations predicted that the arrangement of mechanotransduction sites at heminodes is a key structural feature that accounts in part for an afferent’s firing properties. These findings identify an anatomical correlate and plausible mechanism to explain the driver effect first described by Adrian and Zotterman. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01488.001 Sensory receptors in the skin supply us with information about objects in the world around us, including their shape and texture. These receptors also detect pressure, temperature, and pain, enabling us to respond appropriately to stimuli that could be potentially harmful. The activation of a touch receptor—for example, due to the movement of a hair—causes ions to flow into the cell, changing the electric charge inside it. When the charge exceeds a threshold value, the cell fires action potentials, which travel along its axon to the central nervous system. The patterns of these action potentials from a population of touch receptors carry all the information about a touch stimulus to the brain. Different types of sensory receptors have unique anatomical structures and distinct signaling patterns; however, little is known about how the structures of sensory receptors influence action potential firing. Now Lesniak and Marshall et al. have revealed that structure determines function in a type of mammalian touch receptor called the slowly adapting type I receptor, which is concentrated in fingertips and other areas of high tactile acuity. With the aid of high-resolution microscopy, the complex branching structure of the receptor and its network of nerve endings were mapped in three dimensions. Experiments revealed highly variable structures and firing patterns between individual touch receptors, and computational modeling showed that changing either the number or the arrangement of receptor endings influenced the neuron’s firing properties. This is the first computational model that captures touch encoding by combining skin properties, sensory transduction, and spike initiation. As well as providing new information on how structure permits function, this work opens up new possibilities for exploring how the skin maintains its sensory capabilities during routine maintenance and after injury. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01488.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Daine R Lesniak
- Department of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States
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41
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Lewin GR, Lechner SG, Smith ESJ. Nerve growth factor and nociception: from experimental embryology to new analgesic therapy. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2014; 220:251-282. [PMID: 24668476 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-45106-5_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is central to the development and functional regulation of sensory neurons that signal the first events that lead to pain. These sensory neurons, called nociceptors, require NGF in the early embryo to survive and also for their functional maturation. The long road from the discovery of NGF and its roles during development to the realization that NGF plays a major role in the pathophysiology of inflammatory pain will be reviewed. In particular, we will discuss the various signaling events initiated by NGF that lead to long-lasting thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia in animals and in man. It has been realized relatively recently that humanized function blocking antibodies directed against NGF show remarkably analgesic potency in human clinical trials for painful conditions as varied as osteoarthritis, lower back pain, and interstitial cystitis. Thus, anti-NGF medication has the potential to make a major impact on day-to-day chronic pain treatment in the near future. It is therefore all the more important to understand the precise pathways and mechanisms that are controlled by NGF to both initiate and sustain mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. Recent work suggests that NGF-dependent regulation of the mechanosensory properties of sensory neurons that signal mechanical pain may open new mechanistic avenues to refine and exploit relevant molecular targets for novel analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary R Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Str. 10, 13122, Berlin, Germany,
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42
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Neurotrophin signalling and transcription programmes interactions in the development of somatosensory neurons. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2014; 220:329-53. [PMID: 24668479 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-45106-5_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Somatosensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia are generated from multipotent neural crest cells by a process of progressive specification and differentiation. Intrinsic transcription programmes active in somatosensory neuron progenitors and early post-mitotic neurons drive the cell-type expression of neurotrophin receptors. In turn, signalling by members of the neurotrophin family controls expression of transcription factors that regulate neuronal sub-type specification. This chapter explores the mechanisms by which this crosstalk between neurotrophin signalling and transcription programmes generates the diverse functional sub-types of somatosensory neurons found in the mature animal.
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Moshourab RA, Wetzel C, Martinez-Salgado C, Lewin GR. Stomatin-domain protein interactions with acid-sensing ion channels modulate nociceptor mechanosensitivity. J Physiol 2013; 591:5555-74. [PMID: 23959680 PMCID: PMC3853495 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.261180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and their interaction partners of the stomatin family have all been implicated in sensory transduction. Single gene deletion of asic3, asic2, stomatin, or stoml3 all result in deficits in the mechanosensitivity of distinct cutaneous afferents in the mouse. Here, we generated asic3−/−:stomatin−/−, asic3−/−:stoml3−/− and asic2−/−:stomatin−/− double mutant mice to characterize the functional consequences of stomatin–ASIC protein interactions on sensory afferent mechanosensitivity. The absence of ASIC3 led to a clear increase in mechanosensitivity in rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors (RAMs) and a decrease in the mechanosensitivity in both Aδ- and C-fibre nociceptors. The increased mechanosensitivity of RAMs could be accounted for by a loss of adaptation which could be mimicked by local application of APETx2 a toxin that specifically blocks ASIC3. There is a substantial loss of mechanosensitivity in stoml3−/− mice in which ∼35% of the myelinated fibres lack a mechanosensitive receptive field and this phenotype was found to be identical in asic3−/−:stoml3−/− mutant mice. However, Aδ-nociceptors showed much reduced mechanosensitivity in asic3−/−:stoml3−/− mutant mice compared to asic3−/− controls. Interestingly, in asic2−/−:stomatin−/− mutant mice many Aδ-nociceptors completely lost their mechanosensitivity which was not observed in asic2−/− or stomatin−/− mice. Examination of stomatin−/−:stoml3−/− mutant mice indicated that a stomatin/STOML3 interaction is unlikely to account for the greater Aδ-nociceptor deficits in double mutant mice. A key finding from these studies is that the loss of stomatin or STOML3 in asic3−/− or asic2−/− mutant mice markedly exacerbates deficits in the mechanosensitivity of nociceptors without affecting mechanoreceptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabih A Moshourab
- G. R. Lewin: Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Str. 10, D-13125, Berlin, Germany.
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Lapatsina L, Jira JA, Smith ESJ, Poole K, Kozlenkov A, Bilbao D, Lewin GR, Heppenstall PA. Regulation of ASIC channels by a stomatin/STOML3 complex located in a mobile vesicle pool in sensory neurons. Open Biol 2013; 2:120096. [PMID: 22773952 PMCID: PMC3390797 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.120096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A complex of stomatin-family proteins and acid-sensing (proton-gated) ion channel (ASIC) family members participate in sensory transduction in invertebrates and vertebrates. Here, we have examined the role of the stomatin-family protein stomatin-like protein-3 (STOML3) in this process. We demonstrate that STOML3 interacts with stomatin and ASIC subunits and that this occurs in a highly mobile vesicle pool in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons and Chinese hamster ovary cells. We identify a hydrophobic region in the N-terminus of STOML3 that is required for vesicular localization of STOML3 and regulates physical and functional interaction with ASICs. We further characterize STOML3-containing vesicles in DRG neurons and show that they are Rab11-positive, but not part of the early-endosomal, lysosomal or Rab14-dependent biosynthetic compartment. Moreover, uncoupling of vesicles from microtubules leads to incorporation of STOML3 into the plasma membrane and increased acid-gated currents. Thus, STOML3 defines a vesicle pool in which it associates with molecules that have critical roles in sensory transduction. We suggest that the molecular features of this vesicular pool may be characteristic of a ‘transducosome’ in sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudmila Lapatsina
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13092 Berlin-Buch, Germany
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Abstract
The hairs of the skin not only function to prevent heat loss but also have important sensory functions. Recent work has now established that each hair of the skin is innervated by one or more of three types of mechanoreceptor ending. Each of these three mechanoreceptor types possesses distinct molecular features and detects distinctive information about skin touch, which is relayed to specific brain locations in a somatotopic fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan G. Lechner
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gary R. Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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46
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St John Smith E, Purfürst B, Grigoryan T, Park TJ, Bennett NC, Lewin GR. Specific paucity of unmyelinated C-fibers in cutaneous peripheral nerves of the African naked-mole rat: comparative analysis using six species of Bathyergidae. J Comp Neurol 2013; 520:2785-803. [PMID: 22528859 PMCID: PMC3410526 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In mammalian peripheral nerves, unmyelinated C-fibers usually outnumber myelinated A-fibers. By using transmission electron microscopy, we recently showed that the saphenous nerve of the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) has a C-fiber deficit manifested as a substantially lower C:A-fiber ratio compared with other mammals. Here we determined the uniqueness of this C-fiber deficit by performing a quantitative anatomical analysis of several peripheral nerves in five further members of the Bathyergidae mole-rat family: silvery (Heliophobius argenteocinereus), giant (Fukomys mechowii), Damaraland (Fukomys damarensis), Mashona (Fukomys darlingi), and Natal (Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis) mole-rats. In the largely cutaneous saphenous and sural nerves, the naked mole-rat had the lowest C:A-fiber ratio (∼1.5:1 compared with ∼3:1), whereas, in nerves innervating both skin and muscle (common peroneal and tibial) or just muscle (lateral/medial gastrocnemius), this pattern was mostly absent. We asked whether lack of hair follicles alone accounts for the C-fiber paucity by using as a model a mouse that loses virtually all its hair as a consequence of conditional deletion of the β-catenin gene in the skin. These β-catenin loss-of function mice (β-cat LOF mice) displayed only a mild decrease in C:A-fiber ratio compared with wild-type mice (4.42 compared with 3.81). We suggest that the selective cutaneous C-fiber deficit in the cutaneous nerves of naked mole-rats is unlikely to be due primarily to lack of skin hair follicles. Possible mechanisms contributing to this unique peripheral nerve anatomy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, D 13125 Berlin, Germany
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47
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48
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Abstract
Neural activity is integral to the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS). A subpopulation of neural crest-derived cells expresses pan-neuronal markers at early stages of ENS development (at E10.5 in the mouse). However, the electrical activity of these cells has not been previously characterized, and it is not known whether all cells expressing neuronal markers are capable of firing action potentials (APs). In this study, we examined the activity of "neuron"-like cells (expressing pan-neuronal markers or with neuronal morphology) in the gut of E11.5 and E12.5 mice using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and compared them to the activity of neonatal and adult enteric neurons. Around 30-40% of neuron-like cells at E11.5 and E12.5 fired APs, some of which were very similar to those of adult enteric neurons. All APs were sensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX), indicating that they were driven by voltage-gated Na+ currents. Expression of mRNA encoding several voltage-gated Na+ channels by the E11.5 gut was detected using RT-PCR. The density of voltage-gated Na+ currents increased from E11.5 to neonates. Immature active responses, mediated in part by TTX- and lidocaine-insensitive channels, were observed in most cells at E11.5 and E12.5, but not in P0/P1 or adult neurons. However, some cells expressing neuronal markers at E11.5 or E12.5 did not exhibit an active response to depolarization. Spontaneous depolarizations resembling excitatory postsynaptic potentials were observed at E12.5. The ENS is one of the earliest parts of the developing nervous system to exhibit mature forms of electrical activity.
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49
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Moriya T, Kayano T, Kitamura N, Hosaka YZ, Asano A, Forostyak O, Verkhratsky A, Viero C, Dayanithi G, Toescu EC, Shibuya I. Vasopressin-induced intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration responses in non-neuronal cells of the rat dorsal root ganglion. Brain Res 2012; 1483:1-12. [PMID: 22975133 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Revised: 08/10/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is a nonapeptide of hypothalamic origin that has been shown to exert many important cognitive and physiological functions in neurons and terminals of both the central and peripheral nervous system (CNS and PNS). Here we report for the first time that AVP induced an increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺](i)) in non-neuronal cells isolated from the rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and cultured in vitro. The ratiometric [Ca²⁺](i) measurements showed that AVP evoked [Ca²⁺](i) responses in the non-neuronal cells and these concentration-dependent (100 pM to 1 μM) responses increased with days in vitro in culture, reaching a maximum amplitude after 4-5 day. Immunostaining by anti-S-100 antibody revealed that more than 70% of S-100 positive cells were AVP-responsive, indicating that glial cells responded to AVP and increased their [Ca²⁺](i). The responses were inhibited by depletion of the intracellular Ca²⁺ stores or in the presence of inhibitors of phospholipase C, indicating a metabotropic response involving inositol trisphosphate, and were mediated by the V₁ subclass of AVP receptors, as evidenced by the use of the specific blockers for V₁ and OT receptors, (d(CH₂)₅¹,Tyr(Me)²,Arg⁸)-Vasopressin and (d(CH₂)₅¹,Tyr(Me)²,Thr⁴,Orn⁸,des-Gly-NH₂⁹)-Vasotocin, respectively. V(1a) but not V(1b) receptor mRNA was expressed sustainably through the culture period in cultured DRG cells. These results suggest that AVP modulates the activity of DRG glial cells via activation of V(1a) receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiki Moriya
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
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50
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Wende H, Lechner SG, Birchmeier C. The transcription factor c-Maf in sensory neuron development. Transcription 2012; 3:285-9. [PMID: 22889842 DOI: 10.4161/trns.21809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The proto-oncogene c-Maf has been shown to be an important transcriptional regulator in the differentiation of a number of cellular contexts, like the eye and hematopoietic system. Here we discuss the recent progress made in understanding c-Maf function in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagen Wende
- Developmental Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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