Different Requirements for GFRα2 Signaling in Three Populations of Cutaneous Sensory Neurons

    August 2014 in “ PLoS ONE ”
    Jussi Kupari, Matti S. Airaksinen
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    Studysummary This study found that GFRα2 influences cell size but not survival or target innervation of Ret-positive low-threshold mechanoreceptors in mouse dorsal root ganglia, differing from its role in nonpeptidergic nociceptors. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study investigated the role of GFRα2 in different populations of Ret-positive sensory neurons in mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG). It was found that GFRα2 was crucial for controlling the cell size of both small C-LTMRs and large Aβ-LTMRs, similar to its role in small nonpeptidergic nociceptors. However, unlike nonpeptidergic neurons, GFRα2 was not necessary for the target innervation of C-LTMRs and Aβ-LTMRs in the back skin. This indicated that different mechanisms were responsible for target innervation in these neuron populations. Additionally, the absence of GFRα2 immunoreactivity in large Ret-positive DRG neurons in mature animals suggested a switch in GFRα signaling pathways during postnatal development.
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