title: Diversification and specialization of touch receptors in skin.
abstract: Our skin is the furthest outpost of the nervous system and a primary sensor for harmful and innocuous external stimuli. As a multifunctional sensory organ, the skin manifests a diverse and highly specialized array of mechanosensitive neurons with complex terminals, or end organs, which are able to discriminate different sensory stimuli and encode this information for appropriate central processing. Historically, the basis for this diversity of sensory specializations has been poorly understood. In addition, the relationship between cutaneous mechanosensory afferents and resident skin cells, including keratinocytes, Merkel cells, and Schwann cells, during the development and function of tactile receptors has been poorly defined. In this article, we will discuss conserved tactile end organs in the epidermis and hair follicles, with a focus on recent advances in our understanding that have emerged from studies of mouse hairy skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032 Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032 Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032.
authors.forename: Ellen A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lumpkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D018862:Merkel Cells / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*