Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Maricich SM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2743005 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Maricich Stephen M SM Wellnitz Scott A SA Nelson Aislyn M AM Lesniak Daine R DR Gerling Gregory J GJ Lumpkin Ellen A EA Zoghbi Huda Y HY
Science (New York, N.Y.) 20090601 5934
The peripheral nervous system detects different somatosensory stimuli, including pain, temperature, and touch. Merkel cell-neurite complexes are touch receptors composed of sensory afferents and Merkel cells. The role that Merkel cells play in light-touch responses has been the center of controversy for over 100 years. We used Cre-loxP technology to conditionally delete the transcription factor Atoh1 from the body skin and foot pads of mice. Merkel cells are absent from these areas in Atoh1(CKO) ...[more]