Reviewer #1: Mesenchymal Meis2 Controls Whisker Development Independently from Trigeminal Sensory Innervation

This study in mice found that MEIS2 expression in mesenchymal dermal cells is crucial for the formation of whiskers and the initial steps of epithelial placode development, independently of sensory nerve innervation or Foxd1 expression.

This research describes a crucial role for Meis2 expression in mesenchymal cells derived from the neural crest for whisker formation, showing that whiskers can develop without sensory innervation or FOXD1 expression, highlighting an early function of MEIS2.

This study found that Prdm1 is crucial for whisker development in mice, affecting multiple signaling pathways and possibly playing a role in primates' evolutionary loss of vibrissae.

This study found that the transcription factor Meis2 is crucial for the maturation and innervation of sensory neurons responsible for light touch in mice, with its absence leading to reduced touch sensitivity.

This study observed that Merkel cells and their associated somatosensory axons in mouse skin exhibit significant plasticity, remodeling dynamically to maintain homeostasis. Axonal branching patterns were notably influenced by Merkel cells, suggesting epithelial-neural interactions play a key role in axonal plasticity and patterning.