Keratinocytes contribute to normal cold and heat sensation. Elife 2020 Jul 30;9
Date
07/31/2020Pubmed ID
32729832Pubmed Central ID
PMC7402674DOI
10.7554/eLife.58625Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85089162086 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 41 CitationsAbstract
Keratinocytes are the most abundant cell type in the epidermis, the most superficial layer of skin. Historically, epidermal-innervating sensory neurons were thought to be the exclusive detectors and transmitters of environmental stimuli. However, recent work from our lab (Moehring et al., 2018) and others (Baumbauer et al., 2015) has demonstrated that keratinocytes are also critical for normal mechanotransduction and mechanically-evoked behavioral responses in mice. Here, we asked whether keratinocyte activity is also required for normal cold and heat sensation. Using calcium imaging, we determined that keratinocyte cold activity is conserved across mammalian species and requires the release of intracellular calcium through one or more unknown cold-sensitive proteins. Both epidermal cell optogenetic inhibition and interruption of ATP-P2X4 signaling reduced reflexive behavioral responses to cold and heat stimuli. Based on these data and our previous findings, keratinocyte purinergic signaling is a modality-conserved amplification system that is required for normal somatosensation in vivo.
Author List
Sadler KE, Moehring F, Stucky CLAuthor
Cheryl L. Stucky PhD Professor in the Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsCalcium
Cells, Cultured
Cold Temperature
Female
Hot Temperature
Humans
Keratin-14
Keratinocytes
Male
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, Purinergic
Sciuridae
Sensory Receptor Cells
Signal Transduction
Species Specificity
Thermosensing
