The mechanisms underlying touch sensation in humans are poorly understood. Here, the authors induced human stem-cell-derived neural crest cells in vitro to produce neurons that morphologically and electrophysiologically resembled a subset of low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs), which convey touch. Deletion of the gene encoding PIEZO2, an ion channel activated by mechanical stimuli, from human embryonic stem cells rendered the subsequently induced LTMRs mechano-insensitive, indicating that this channel is required for mechanotransduction in these LTMRs.
References
Schrenk-Siemens, K. et al. PIEZO2 is required for mechanotransduction in human stem cell-derived touch receptors. Nature Neurosci. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.3894 (2014)
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Yates, D. Channelling touch. Nat Rev Neurosci 16, 65 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3902
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3902