GSE99265
MicroRNA-183 cluster continuously scales mechanical pain sensitivity by regulating basal and neuropathic pain gene pathways.
Nociception is protective and prevents tissue damage but can also facilitate chronic pain. If a general principle governs these two types of pain is unknown. Here, we show that both basal mechanical and neuropathic pain are controlled by microRNA-183 cluster in mice. This single cluster controls more than 80% of neuropathic pain-regulated genes and scales basal mechanical sensitivity and mechanical allodynia by regulating auxiliary voltage-gated calcium channel subunits a2d. Basal sensitivity is controlled in nociceptors and allodynia involves TrkB+ light-touch mechanoreceptors. These light-touch sensitive neurons that normally do not elicit pain produce pain during neuropathy that is reversed by gabapentin. Thus, a single miRNA cluster continuously scales acute noxious mechanical sensitivity in nociceptive neurons and suppresses neuropathic pain transduction in a specific, light-touch sensitive neuronal type recruited during mechanical allodynia. Overall design: Bulk DRG RNA sequencing of control and tissue-specific knock-out animals, naive and after nerve injury