Reducing Merkel cell activity in the whisker follicle disrupts cortical encoding of whisker movement amplitude and velocity.

ABSTRACT: Merkel cells (MCs) and associated primary sensory afferents of the whisker follicle-sinus complex, accurately code whisker self-movement, angle, and whisk phase during whisking. However, little is known about their roles played in cortical encoding of whisker movement. To this end, the spiking activity of primary somatosensory barrel cortex (wS1) neurons was measured in response to varying the whisker deflection amplitude and velocity in transgenic mice with previously established reduced mechanoelectrical coupling at MC-associated afferents. Under reduced MC activity, wS1 neurons exhibited increased sensitivity to whisker deflection. This appeared to arise from a lack of variation in response magnitude to varying the whisker deflection amplitude and velocity. This latter effect was furthe

SUBMITTER: Lemercier CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9586890 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature