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Cell and Tissue Research Mar 2020Trichoid sensilla are the most common mechanoreceptors in insects; depending on their distribution, they can act as either exteroceptors or proprioceptors. In this...
Trichoid sensilla are the most common mechanoreceptors in insects; depending on their distribution, they can act as either exteroceptors or proprioceptors. In this study, the internal structure of the trichoid sensillum from Nilaparvata lugens was studied, using focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). We reconstructed a three-dimensional (3D) model derived from the FIB-SEM data set. The model displayed characteristic mechanosensory sensilla components, including a hair inserted in the socket, a dendrite going through the laminated cuticle, and an electron-dense tubular body at the dendrite terminal. The detailed 3D model showed the relationship between the microtubules within the tubular body and those outside of the tubular body. We also found an autocellular junction in the tormogen cell, indicating that the tormogen cell grows around the dendrite sheath to form a hollow column shape during sensilla morphogenesis.
Topics: Animals; Hemiptera; Mechanoreceptors; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
PubMed: 31768711
DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03122-7 -
The Journal of Experimental Biology Sep 2015Using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis, we demonstrate that melanopsin is localised in cells around the central pore of lateral line neuromasts in the...
Using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis, we demonstrate that melanopsin is localised in cells around the central pore of lateral line neuromasts in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Since melanopsin is a known photoreceptor pigment with diverse functions in vertebrates, we suggest that the lateral line of Xenopus laevis, which is primarily a mechanoreceptor, might also be light sensitive. Potential functions of such photosensitivity are discussed, including its role in mediating locomotor responses following dermal illumination.
Topics: Animals; Lateral Line System; Light; Mechanoreceptors; Rod Opsins; Xenopus laevis
PubMed: 26206352
DOI: 10.1242/jeb.125203 -
Tsitologiia Jan 1973
Review
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Action Potentials; Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Cell Membrane; Cytoplasmic Granules; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Mechanoreceptors; Microscopy, Electron; Mitochondria; Ranvier's Nodes; Schwann Cells; Synapses; Synaptic Vesicles; Vibration
PubMed: 4265709
DOI: No ID Found -
Lab on a Chip Mar 2017New tools for applying force to animals, tissues, and cells are critically needed in order to advance the field of mechanobiology, as few existing tools enable...
New tools for applying force to animals, tissues, and cells are critically needed in order to advance the field of mechanobiology, as few existing tools enable simultaneous imaging of tissue and cell deformation as well as cellular activity in live animals. Here, we introduce a novel microfluidic device that enables high-resolution optical imaging of cellular deformations and activity while applying precise mechanical stimuli to the surface of the worm's cuticle with a pneumatic pressure reservoir. To evaluate device performance, we compared analytical and numerical simulations conducted during the design process to empirical measurements made with fabricated devices. Leveraging the well-characterized touch receptor neurons (TRNs) with an optogenetic calcium indicator as a model mechanoreceptor neuron, we established that individual neurons can be stimulated and that the device can effectively deliver steps as well as more complex stimulus patterns. This microfluidic device is therefore a valuable platform for investigating the mechanobiology of living animals and their mechanosensitive neurons.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Caenorhabditis elegans; Calcium; Equipment Design; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Mechanoreceptors; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Optical Imaging; Optogenetics; Physical Stimulation
PubMed: 28207921
DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01165a -
Rossiiskii Fiziologicheskii Zhurnal... Jun 1999It has been shown in experiments on conscious cats and rats that arterial mechanoreceptor reflex is inhibited during averse emotional influence, and the changed reflex... (Review)
Review
It has been shown in experiments on conscious cats and rats that arterial mechanoreceptor reflex is inhibited during averse emotional influence, and the changed reflex is a cause of elevation in arterial pressure. In one's turn the hypertension contributes to entry of blood plasma norepinephrine into brain and in this way increases the arterial baroreceptor reflex after the emotional influence is stopped. The augmentation of baroreflex promotes restoration of homeostasis after cessation of the stress situation.
Topics: Animals; Arteries; Baroreflex; Cats; Hypertension; Mechanoreceptors; Rats; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 10511999
DOI: No ID Found -
Integration of vibrotactile frequency information beyond the mechanoreceptor channel and somatotopy.Scientific Reports Jun 2017A wide variety of tactile sensations arise from the activation of several types of mechanoreceptor-afferent channels scattered all over the body, and their projections...
A wide variety of tactile sensations arise from the activation of several types of mechanoreceptor-afferent channels scattered all over the body, and their projections create a somatotopic map in the somatosensory cortex. Recent findings challenge the traditional view that tactile signals from different mechanoreceptor-channels/locations are independently processed in the brain, though the contribution of signal integration to perception remains obscure. Here we show that vibrotactile frequency perception is functionally enriched by signal integration across different mechanoreceptor channels and separate skin locations. When participants touched two sinusoidal vibrations of far-different frequency, which dominantly activated separate channels with the neighboring fingers or the different hand and judged the frequency of one vibration, the perceived frequency shifted toward the other (assimilation effect). Furthermore, when the participants judged the frequency of the pair as a whole, they consistently reported an intensity-based interpolation of the two vibrations (averaging effect). Both effects were similar in magnitude between the same and different hand conditions and significantly diminished by asynchronous presentation of the vibration pair. These findings indicate that human tactile processing is global and flexible in that it can estimate the ensemble property of a large-scale tactile event sensed by various receptors distributed over the body.
Topics: Adult; Female; Fingers; Hand; Humans; Male; Mechanoreceptors; Physical Stimulation; Somatosensory Cortex; Touch; Touch Perception; Vibration; Young Adult
PubMed: 28584282
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02922-7 -
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) Jan 1999This study tested the hypothesis that decreased responsiveness of renal mechanosensitive neurons constitutes an intermediate phenotype in spontaneously hypertensive rats...
This study tested the hypothesis that decreased responsiveness of renal mechanosensitive neurons constitutes an intermediate phenotype in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Decreased responsiveness of these sensory neurons would contribute to increased renal sympathetic nerve activity and sodium retention, characteristic findings in hypertension. A backcross population, developed by mating borderline hypertensive rats with Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) (the F1 of a cross between an SHR and a normotensive WKY), was fed 8% NaCl food for 12 weeks from age 4 to 16 weeks. Responses to increases in ureteral pressure to 20 and 40 mm Hg in 80 backcross rats instrumented for measurement of mean arterial pressure and afferent renal nerve activity were determined. Mean arterial pressure ranged from 110 to 212 mm Hg and was inversely correlated with the magnitude of the increase in afferent renal nerve activity during increased ureteral pressure. Thus, decreased responsiveness of renal mechanosensitive neurons cosegregated with hypertension in this backcross population. This aspect of the complex quantitative trait of altered renal sympathetic neural control of renal function, ie, decreased renal mechanoreceptor responsiveness, is part of an intermediate phenotype in SHR.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Blood Pressure; Crosses, Genetic; Female; Hypertension; Kidney; Male; Mechanoreceptors; Phenotype; Rats; Rats, Inbred SHR; Rats, Inbred WKY; Regression Analysis; Ureter
PubMed: 9931150
DOI: 10.1161/01.hyp.33.1.472 -
Trends in Cell Biology Feb 2015The Merkel cell-neurite complex is a unique vertebrate touch receptor comprising two distinct cell types in the skin. Its presence in touch-sensitive skin areas was... (Review)
Review
The Merkel cell-neurite complex is a unique vertebrate touch receptor comprising two distinct cell types in the skin. Its presence in touch-sensitive skin areas was recognized more than a century ago, but the functions of each cell type in sensory transduction have been unclear. Three recent studies demonstrate that Merkel cells are mechanosensitive cells that function in touch transduction via Piezo2. One study concludes that Merkel cells, rather than sensory neurons, are principal sites of mechanotransduction, whereas two other studies report that both Merkel cells and neurons encode mechanical inputs. Together, these studies settle a long-standing debate on whether or not Merkel cells are mechanosensory cells, and enable future investigations of how these skin cells communicate with neurons.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Ion Channels; Mechanoreceptors; Mechanotransduction, Cellular; Merkel Cells; Mice; Neurons; Skin; Touch
PubMed: 25480024
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2014.10.003 -
Journal of Anatomy Jan 1984The posterior attachments of the dog knee joint lateral menisci have been studied to identify and characterize their mechanoreceptor innervation. Two basic types of...
The posterior attachments of the dog knee joint lateral menisci have been studied to identify and characterize their mechanoreceptor innervation. Two basic types of mechanoreceptor were identified that appeared to be similar to the Type III and Type II endings described by Freeman & Wyke (1967) in cat knee periarticular tissues. Significantly, two distinct forms of Type II corpuscles were identified in this study, referred to as Types IIa and IIb, respectively. Endings were usually identified either at the point where the posterior meniscotibial ligament merged with the main body of the meniscus and the meniscofemoral ligament, or within the inner aspect of the meniscofemoral ligament where it joined the meniscal 'body'. The presence of encapsulated mechanoreceptors within the attachments of dog knee lateral menisci means that the central nervous system is being appraised of the mechanical state of these structures. A mechanism is suggested by which the tension of meniscal attachments could be varied according to knee joint position. A possible relationship between the morphology of the receptors identified in this study and the physiological responses of similar cat knee joint receptors is discussed.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Hindlimb; Joints; Ligaments, Articular; Mechanoreceptors; Microscopy, Electron
PubMed: 6706833
DOI: No ID Found -
Human Molecular Genetics May 2002Mechanosensation requires the transduction of mechanical stimuli into neuronal impulses. It encompasses not only the sense of touch but also proprioception and hearing.... (Review)
Review
Mechanosensation requires the transduction of mechanical stimuli into neuronal impulses. It encompasses not only the sense of touch but also proprioception and hearing. In contrast to sight, smell and taste, relatively little is known about the molecular machinery of mechanosensation. It is already clear, however, that important aspects are conserved across phyla, from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans. Drosophila melanogaster is well placed to make a significant contribution to this field. Its advantages include a sequenced genome allied with powerful genetic techniques, and the ability to conduct electrophysiological recording from mechanoreceptor neurons. For human geneticists, it is expected that Drosophila studies will provide a source of candidate genes whose human homologues can be examined for roles in mechanosensory development, function and disease.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster; Humans; Mechanoreceptors; Mice
PubMed: 12015281
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/11.10.1215