Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Sensory Neuron and Merkel-Cell Remodeling During Epidermal Homeostasis

The study "Spatiotemporal dynamics of sensory neuron and Merkel-cell remodeling are decoupled during epidermal homeostasis" investigates the remodeling of sensory neurons and Merkel cells in the skin's epithelial layer. The research involved imaging of 154 images from 20 axons in four mice. The study found that sensory axon terminals are highly dynamic even when Merkel cells are stable, with significantly more remodeling events in terminal branches (89%) compared with Merkel cells (63%). The degree of plasticity in axonal terminals was found to be related to that of Merkel cells. The researchers also found that Merkel-cell numbers decline significantly over a month in adult mice, and that the plasticity of Merkel cells, but not axonal remodeling, is synchronized to the rapid epithelial regeneration that occurs during hair growth. The study concludes that Merkel cells stabilize individual branches, suppress excessive branching, and promote maturation of terminal morphology.