Author Response: Touch Receptor End-Organ Innervation and Function Require Sensory Neuron Expression of the Transcription Factor Meis2

The study by Desiderio and colleagues investigated the role of the transcription factor Meis2 in the maturation and target innervation of mechanoreceptors, which are responsible for the sensation of touch. Using a combination of techniques, they found that Meis2-expressing sensory neurons project to the skin and require target-derived signals for survival. In a conditional knock-out mouse model, the loss of Meis2 resulted in significantly reduced sensitivity to touch stimuli and various innervation defects. RNA-sequencing revealed extensive gene expression differences in the absence of Meis2, including synaptic proteins and components of GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission. The study concluded that Meis2 plays a crucial role in the perception of light touch. However, the study faced some limitations due to the Covid19 pandemic, which compromised planned electrophysiological experiments.