scRNA-seq of electrophysiologically characterized mechanosensetive DRG neurons reveals maturational differences in gene expression
Cultured dorsal root ganglia neurons of 4 and 12 weeks old C57Bl/6 mice were first characterized as mechanosensitive (showed  rapidly adapting mechanically actived currents in whole-cell votage clamp) and as mechanoreceptors (evoked action potential waveform in whole-cell current clamp). Next, cells were subjected to RNA-seq and sequences were analyzed bioinformatically. We found maturatinal changes comprising age-dependent differential gene expression in these somatosensory mechanoreceptors. The found differences call for tight age-matching of young mice in research and underline found electrophysiological and behavioural maturational changes in somatosensation, see Michel, Niklas and Narayanan, Pratibha and Shomroni, Orr and Schmidt, Manuela, Cutaneous Touch and Piezo2-Mediated Mechanotransduction Decline Throughout Mouse Maturation Until Adulthood. CELL-REPORTS-D-20-00425. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3536401 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3536401 Overall design: 18 single DRG neuron RNA profiles of 4 and 12 weeks old male WT C57Bl/6J mice, grouped by their electrophysiological profile