Loss of bhlha9 Impairs Thermotaxis and Formalin-Evoked Pain in a Sexually Dimorphic Manner

Bohic, Manon; Marics, Irène; Santos, Catarina; Malapert, Pascale; Ben‐Arie, Nissim; Salio, Chiara; Reynders, Ana; Feuvre, Yves Le; Saurin, Andrew J.; Moqrich, Aziz

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.041

Cited by 25 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 30 publications

(54 reference statements)

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“…Within the deep ocean of DRG neuron types, one class, termed C-low threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs), or C-tactile afferents in humans, are implicated in detecting gentle strokes across the skin’s surface(Ackerley et al, 2014). Although a limited number of papers in the mouse identify molecular populations of C-LTMRs, including their neuroanatomy and roles in somatosensation during baseline and chronic pain states (Bohic et al, 2020; Francois et al, 2015; Kuehn et al, 2019; Li and Ginty, 2014; Li et al, 2011; Lou et al, 2013; Seal et al, 2009a; Urien et al, 2017), the role of C-LTMRs in promoting social behaviors remains obscure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of touch neurons underlying dopaminergic pleasurable touch and sexual receptivity

Middleton¹,

Schaffler

Succi

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Pleasurable touch during social behavior is the key to building familial bonds and meaningful connections. One form of social touch occurs during sex. Although sexual behavior is initiated in part by touch, and touch is ongoing throughout copulation, the identity and role of sensory neurons that transduce sexual touch remain completely unknown. A population of sensory neurons labeled by the G-protein coupled receptor Mrgprb4 detect stroking touch in mice. Here, we study the social relevance of this population by genetically engineering mice to allow activation or ablation of Mrgprb4-lineage neurons and reveal that these neurons are required for sexual receptivity and sufficient to activate reward circuitry. Even in social isolation, optogenetic stimulation of Mrgprb4-lineage neurons through the back skin is sufficient to induce a conditioned place preference and a striking lordosis-like copulatory posture in females. In the absence of Mrgprb4-lineage neurons, female mice no longer find male mounts rewarding: sexual receptivity is supplanted by aggression and a coincident decline in dopaminergic release in the mesolimbic reward pathway. In addition to sexual behavior, Mrgprb4-lineage neurons are also required for social postures induced by female-to-female back touch. Together, these findings reveal a skin-to-brain circuit encoding the rewarding quality of social touch.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of touch neurons underlying dopaminergic pleasurable touch and sexual receptivity

Middleton¹,

Schaffler

Succi

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…However, a subpopulation of hairy-skin innervating neurons involved in light touch stimulation and conveying affective aspects of gentle touch, called C-LTMRs, have unmyelinated axons. These neurons constitute a unique subpopulation of mechanoreceptors as they also modulate the transmission of noxious stimuli and seem to develop from precursors of the third main type of sensory neurons, the nociceptors (Lallemend and Ernfors, 2012;Delfini et al, 2013;Zimmerman et al, 2014;Emery and Ernfors, 2018;Kambrun et al, 2018;Bohic et al, 2020). This nociceptive lineage includes thermoreceptors sensing innocuous temperature variations, itch sensing pruriceptors and nociceptors sensing noxious thermal, mechanical and chemical stimuli (Emery and Ernfors, 2018).…”

Section: Trigeminal and Dorsal Root Gangliamentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertebrate Sensory Ganglia: Common and Divergent Features of the Transcriptional Programs Generating Their Functional Specialization

Vermeiren

Bellefroid

Desiderio

2020

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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“…As C-LTMRs have been implicated into temperature perception 15,16,27 , we probed thermal sensitivity of control and C-LMTRs hM3Dq mice in the thermal gradient test. 30 minutes after CNO injection, mice were placed into a 1.5m corridor with the floor at one extremity cooled down to 5°C and the other heated up to 50°C, creating a gradient of temperature between the two extremities.…”

Section: Effect Of Exogenous C-ltmr Activation On Somatosensory Percementioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of C-Tactile Low threshold mechanoreceptors on affective touch and social interactions in mice

Bourinet

Martín

Huzard

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Affective touch is necessary for proper neurodevelopment and sociability. However, it is still unclear how the neurons innervating the skin detect affective and social behaviours. To clarify this matter, we targeted a specific population of somatosensory neurons in mice, named C-low threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs), that appears particularly well suited physiologically and anatomically to perceive affective and social touch but whose contribution to these processes has not yet been resolved. Our observations revealed that C-LTMRs functional deficiency from birth induced social isolation and reduced tactile interactions in adults. Conversely, transient increase in C-LTMRs excitability in adults using chemogenetics was rewarding, temporally promoted touch seeking behaviours and thus had pro-social effects on group dynamics. This work provides the first empirical evidence that specific peripheral inputs alone can drive complex social behaviour, demonstrating the existence of a specialised neuronal circuit originating from the skin wired to promote interaction with other individuals.

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Loss of bhlha9 Impairs Thermotaxis and Formalin-Evoked Pain in a Sexually Dimorphic Manner

Cited by 25 publications

References 30 publications

Identification of touch neurons underlying dopaminergic pleasurable touch and sexual receptivity

Identification of touch neurons underlying dopaminergic pleasurable touch and sexual receptivity

Vertebrate Sensory Ganglia: Common and Divergent Features of the Transcriptional Programs Generating Their Functional Specialization

The impact of C-Tactile Low threshold mechanoreceptors on affective touch and social interactions in mice

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