The somatosensory system decodes a wide range of tactile stimuli and thus endows us with
a remarkable capacity for object recognition, texture discrimination, sensory-motor feedback …

While considerable effort has been made to investigate the neural mechanisms of pain,
much less effort has been devoted to itch, at least until recently. However, itch is now gaining …

Touch sensation is essential for behaviours ranging from environmental exploration to social
interaction; however, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In Drosophila larvae …

Neuropathic pain is characterized by mechanical allodynia induced by low-threshold
myelinated Aβ-fiber activation. The original gate theory of pain proposes that inhibitory …

Stroking of the skin produces pleasant sensations that can occur during social interactions
with conspecifics, such as grooming. Despite numerous physiological studies (reviewed in …

Robust dendrite morphogenesis is a critical step in the development of reproducible neural
circuits. However, little is known about the extracellular cues that pattern complex dendrite …

Sensory dendrites depend on cues from their environment to pattern their growth and direct
them toward their correct target tissues. Yet, little is known about dendrite-substrate …

C-low-threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs) are unique among C-unmyelinated primary
sensory neurons. These neurons convey two opposite aspects of touch sensation: a …

VGLUT3-expressing unmyelinated low-threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs) are
proposed to mediate pleasant touch and/or pain, but the molecular programs controlling C …

Molecular determinants of threshold sensitivity of mammalian mechanoreceptors are
unknown. Here, we identify a mechanosensitive (MS) K+ current (I Kmech) that governs …