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Identification of a cold sensor in peripheral somatosensory neurons

Cold sensor identities in peripheral somatosensory neurons remain obscure. We show that GluK2, a kainate-type glutamate-sensing chemoreceptor that mediates synaptic transmission in the brain, mediates the sensing of cold but not cool temperatures in mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons in the periphery. Thus, we identify GluK2 as a cold-sensing thermoreceptor.

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Fig. 1: GluK2 is important for sensing cold, but not cool, temperatures.

References

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This is a summary of: Cai, W. et al. The kainate receptor GluK2 mediates cold sensing in mice. Nat. Neurosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01585-8 (2024).

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Identification of a cold sensor in peripheral somatosensory neurons. Nat Neurosci 27, 613–614 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01606-6

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