Club-Like Receptors Respond to Light Touch but Not to Whisking

    December 2025 in “ Nature Communications ”
    Taiga Muramoto, Takahiro Furuta, Taro Koike, Knarik Bagdasarian, Sotatsu Tonomura, Aya Takenaka, Yosky Kataoka, Mitsuyo Maeda, Asami Eguchi, Masaaki Kitada, Kenzo Kumamoto, E. Ahissar, Satomi Ebara
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    TLDR Club-like receptors detect light touch but not whisking.
    The study investigates how specific mechanoreceptors in rodent whisker follicles distinguish between self-motion and touch. Researchers identified a distinct mechanoreceptor subtype, club-like endings, which respond exclusively to touch and remain inactive during whisking. These endings are arranged in a circular array within a collagen-rich structure, minimizing activation during whisking while maintaining touch sensitivity. This specialization likely evolved to enhance tactile precision in whisking species, as it is absent in non-whisking animals like cats.
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