TY - JOUR
T1 - Piezo2 channel–Merkel cell signaling modulates the conversion of touch to itch
AU - Feng, Jing
AU - Luo, Jialie
AU - Yang, Pu
AU - Du, Junhui
AU - Kim, Brian S.
AU - Hu, Hongzhen
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank B. Duan, Y. Yan, and Z. F. Chen for helpful discussion; M. Hoshinoa, E. A. Lumpkin, and B. U. Hoffman for the Atoh1CreERT mouse line; and N. F. Shroyer and R. D. Newberry for the Atoh1f/f mouse line. Supported by NIH grants R01GM101218 and R01DK103901, Washington University School of Medicine Digestive Disease Research Core Center (NIDDK grant P30 DK052574), and NIH grants R01AR070116 and K08AR065577 (B.S.K.).
Publisher Copyright:
2017 © The Authors, some rights reserved.
PY - 2018/5/4
Y1 - 2018/5/4
N2 - The somatosensory system relays many signals ranging from light touch to pain and itch. Touch is critical to spatial awareness and communication. However, in disease states, innocuous mechanical stimuli can provoke pathologic sensations such as mechanical itch (alloknesis). The molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern this conversion remain unknown. We found that in mice, alloknesis in aging and dry skin is associated with a loss of Merkel cells, the touch receptors in the skin. Targeted genetic deletion of Merkel cells and associated mechanosensitive Piezo2 channels in the skin was sufficient to produce alloknesis. Chemogenetic activation of Merkel cells protected against alloknesis in dry skin. This study reveals a previously unknown function of the cutaneous touch receptors and may provide insight into the development of alloknesis.
AB - The somatosensory system relays many signals ranging from light touch to pain and itch. Touch is critical to spatial awareness and communication. However, in disease states, innocuous mechanical stimuli can provoke pathologic sensations such as mechanical itch (alloknesis). The molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern this conversion remain unknown. We found that in mice, alloknesis in aging and dry skin is associated with a loss of Merkel cells, the touch receptors in the skin. Targeted genetic deletion of Merkel cells and associated mechanosensitive Piezo2 channels in the skin was sufficient to produce alloknesis. Chemogenetic activation of Merkel cells protected against alloknesis in dry skin. This study reveals a previously unknown function of the cutaneous touch receptors and may provide insight into the development of alloknesis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046453828&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/science.aar5703
DO - 10.1126/science.aar5703
M3 - Article
C2 - 29724954
AN - SCOPUS:85046453828
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 360
SP - 530
EP - 533
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6388
ER -