Making the pain connection.
Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons include multiple types of sensory neurons with well-appreciated anatomical and physiological distinctions. In this issue of Neuron, Chen et al. adds to our molecular understanding of these differences by reporting that DRG11, a paired homeodomain transcription factor, is specifically required for the proper development of pain-sensing nociceptive neurons.
Patapoutian
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Department of Cell Biology, ICND, The Scripps Research Institute, 92037, La Jolla, CA, USA.
D000818:Animals; D000870:Anterior Horn Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C433766:Prrxl1 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors