title: Generation of somatic sensory neuron diversity and implications on sensory coding.
abstract: Neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are composed of a variety of sensory modalities, three of which are pain-sensing nociceptors, temperature-sensing thermoceptors, and itch-sensing pruriceptors. All these neurons are emerged from a common pool of embryonic DRG neurons that are marked by the expression of the neurotrophin receptor TrkA. Here we discuss how intrinsic transcription factors interface with target-derived signals to specify these functionally distinct sensory neurons. We will also discuss how this control mechanism provides a developmental perspective for the coding of somatic sensations.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 1 Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qiufu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors