The Touch Dome Defines an Epidermal Niche Specialized for Mechanosensory Signaling

Yanne S. Doucet; Seung-Hyun Woo; Marlon E. Ruiz; David M. Owens

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2013.04.026

Merkel cells are not the mechanosensory transducers in the touch dome of the rat

Journal of Neurocytology ◽

10.1007/bf01181555 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 117-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

L. R. Mills ◽

J. Diamond

Keyword(s):

Merkel Cells ◽

Touch Dome

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Touch dome properties as a function of age

Experimental Neurology ◽

10.1016/0014-4886(84)90224-3 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 84 (2) ◽

pp. 274-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Judith Leon ◽

Alan J. McComas

Keyword(s):

Touch Dome

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Touch Dome

Encyclopedia of Neuroscience ◽

10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_6052 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 4090-4090

Keyword(s):

Touch Dome

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A Cascade of Wnt, Eda, and Shh Signaling Is Essential for Touch Dome Merkel Cell Development

PLoS Genetics ◽

10.1371/journal.pgen.1006150 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. e1006150 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Ying Xiao ◽

Daniel T. Thoresen ◽

Lingling Miao ◽

Jonathan S. Williams ◽

Chaochen Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Development ◽

Merkel Cell ◽

Shh Signaling ◽

Touch Dome

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Reinnervation of the rat touch dome restores the Merkel cell population reduced after denervation

Neuroscience ◽

10.1016/0306-4522(84)90249-5 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 563-571 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

C.A. Nurse ◽

L. Macintyre ◽

J. Diamond

Keyword(s):

Cell Population ◽

Merkel Cell ◽

Touch Dome

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The touch dome in human skin is supplied by different types of nerve fibers

Annals of Neurology ◽

10.1002/ana.20527 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 88-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Christina M. Reinisch ◽

Erwin Tschachler

Keyword(s):

Human Skin ◽

Nerve Fibers ◽

Different Types ◽

Touch Dome

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Cutaneous overexpression of NT-3 increases sensory and sympathetic neuron number and enhances touch dome and hair follicle innervation.

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.134.2.487 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 134 (2) ◽

pp. 487-497 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

K M Albers ◽

T N Perrone ◽

T P Goodness ◽

M E Jones ◽

M A Green ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sensory Neurons ◽

Sympathetic Neurons ◽

Sympathetic Neuron ◽

Nerve Fibers ◽

Target Tissue ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Touch Dome ◽

Sensory Endings

Target-derived influences of nerve growth factor on neuronal survival and differentiation are well documented, though effects of other neurotrophins are less clear. To examine the influence of NT-3 neurotrophin overexpression in a target tissue of sensory and sympathetic neurons, transgenic mice were isolated that overexpress NT-3 in the epidermis. Overexpression of NT-3 led to a 42% increase in the number of dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons, a 70% increase in the number of trigeminal sensory neurons, and a 32% increase in sympathetic neurons. Elevated NT-3 also caused enlargement of touch dome mechanoreceptor units, sensory end organs innervated by slowly adapting type 1 (SA1) neurons. The enlarged touch dome units of the transgenics had an increased number of associated Merkel cells, cells at which SA1s terminate. An additional alteration of skin innervation in NT-3 transgenics was an increased density of myelinated circular endings associated with the piloneural complex. The enhancement of innervation to the skin was accompanied by a doubling in the number of sensory neurons expressing trkC. In addition, measures of nerve fibers in cross-sectional profiles of cutaneous saphenous nerves of transgenics showed a 60% increase in myelinated fibers. These results indicate that in vivo overexpression of NT-3 by the epidermis enhances the number of sensory and sympathetic neurons and the development of selected sensory endings of the skin.

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The cellular basis of mechanosensory Merkel-cell innervation during development

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.42633 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Blair A Jenkins ◽

Natalia M Fontecilla ◽

Catherine P Lu ◽

Elaine Fuchs ◽

Ellen A Lumpkin

Keyword(s):

Cell Types ◽

Hair Follicles ◽

Bmp Signaling ◽

Merkel Cells ◽

Merkel Cell ◽

Skin Development ◽

Cellular Basis ◽

Neuronal Populations ◽

Dermal Cells ◽

Touch Dome

Touch sensation is initiated by mechanosensory neurons that innervate distinct skin structures; however, little is known about how these neurons are patterned during mammalian skin development. We explored the cellular basis of touch-receptor patterning in mouse touch domes, which contain mechanosensory Merkel cell-neurite complexes and abut primary hair follicles. At embryonic stage 16.5 (E16.5), touch domes emerge as patches of Merkel cells and keratinocytes clustered with a previously unsuspected population of Bmp4-expressing dermal cells. Epidermal Noggin overexpression at E14.5 disrupted touch-dome formation but not hair-follicle specification, demonstrating a temporally distinct requirement for BMP signaling in placode-derived structures. Surprisingly, two neuronal populations preferentially targeted touch domes during development but only one persisted in mature touch domes. Finally, Keratin-17-expressing keratinocytes but not Merkel cells were necessary to establish innervation patterns during development. These findings identify key cell types and signaling pathways required for targeting Merkel-cell afferents to discrete mechanosensory compartments.

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