The mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo2 mediates sensitivity to mechanical pain in mice.

ABSTRACT: The brush of a feather and a pinprick are perceived as distinct sensations because they are detected by discrete cutaneous sensory neurons. Inflammation or nerve injury can disrupt this sensory coding and result in maladaptive pain states, including mechanical allodynia, the development of pain in response to innocuous touch. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the alteration of mechanical sensitization are poorly understood. In mice and humans, loss of mechanically activated PIEZO2 channels results in the inability to sense discriminative touch. However, the role of Piezo2 in acute and sensitized mechanical pain is not well defined. Here, we showed that optogenetic activation of Piezo2-expressing sensory neurons induced nociception in mice. Mice lacking Piezo2 in ca

SUBMITTER: Murthy SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6709986 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature