Merkel Cells Activate Sensory Neural Pathways through Adrenergic Synapses.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial-neuronal signaling is essential for sensory encoding in touch, itch, and nociception; however, little is known about the release mechanisms and neurotransmitter receptors through which skin cells govern neuronal excitability. Merkel cells are mechanosensory epidermal cells that have long been proposed to activate neuronal afferents through chemical synaptic transmission. We employed a set of classical criteria for chemical neurotransmission as a framework to test this hypothesis. RNA sequencing of adult mouse Merkel cells demonstrated that they express presynaptic molecules and biosynthetic machinery for adrenergic transmission. Moreover, live-cell imaging directly demonstrated that Merkel cells mediate activity- and VMAT-dependent release of fluorescent catecholamine neurotrans

SUBMITTER: Hoffman BU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6347413 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature