Journal
TRENDS IN CELL BIOLOGY
Volume 25, Issue 2, Pages 74-81Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2014.10.003
Keywords
mechanosensory cells; mechanoreceptor; Piezo; touch dome; somatosensory
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Funding
- NIAMS NIH HHS [R01 AR051219] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDCR NIH HHS [R01 DE022358] Funding Source: Medline
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The Merkel cell neurite complex is a unique vertebrate touch receptor comprising two distinct cell types in the skin. Its presence in touch-sensitive skin areas was recognized more than a century ago, but the functions of each cell type in sensory transduction have been unclear. Three recent studies demonstrate that Merkel cells are mechanosensitive cells that function in touch transduction via Piezo2. One study concludes that Merkel cells, rather than sensory neurons, are principal sites of mechanotransduction, whereas two other studies report that both Merkel cells and neurons encode mechanical inputs. Together, these studies settle a long-standing debate on whether or not Merkel cells are mechanosensory cells, and enable future investigations of how these skin cells communicate with neurons.
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