Itch-inducing stimuli are detected by somatosensory neurons expressing the ion channel transient receptor potential V1 (TRPV1); however, the circuitry that mediates itch signalling has not yet been elucidated. Here, the authors showed that a subset of TRPV1 neurons express natriuretic polypeptide B (NPPB) and that loss of NPPB, or of its spinal receptor, specifically abolishes responses to itch-inducing agents in mice. They found that NPPB acts as a specific itch-related neurotransmitter to relay information from peripheral itch-sensitive neurons to the spinal cord.
References
Mishra, S. K. & Hoon, M. A. The cells and circuitry for itch responses in mice. Science 340, 968–971 (2013)
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Whalley, K. Investigating itch circuitry. Nat Rev Neurosci 14, 459 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3542
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3542