Mechanosensor Channels in Mammalian Somatosensory Neurons

• Main Authors: Patrick Delmas, Bertrand Coste, Marcel Crest, François Maingret, Jizhe Hao, Aurélie Giamarchi, Nathalie Azorin, Lise Rodat-Despoix, Matthieu Raoux
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2007-09-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: Pain; Touch; Skin sensation; Mechanosensory transduction; Stretch; Osmotic shock; Mechanosensitive channels; TRP channels; ASIC; amiloride; DRG.
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/7/9/1667/

Mechanoreceptive sensory neurons innervating the skin, skeletal muscles andviscera signal both innocuous and noxious information necessary for proprioception, touchand pain. These neurons are responsible for the transduction of mechanical stimuli intoaction potentials that propagate to the central nervous system. The ability of these cells todetect mechanical stimuli impinging on them relies on the presence of mechanosensitivechannels that transduce the external mechanical forces into electrical and chemical signals.Although a great deal of information regarding the molecular and biophysical properties ofmechanosensitive channels in prokaryotes has been accumulated over the past two decades,less is known about the mechanosensitive channels necessary for proprioception and thesenses of touch and pain. This review summarizes the most pertinent data onmechanosensitive channels of mammalian somatosensory neurons, focusing on theirproperties, pharmacology and putative identity.