Structure-function correlations of rat trigeminal primary neurons: Emphasis on club-like endings, a vibrissal mechanoreceptor

Sotatsu TONOMURA; Satomi EBARA; Knarik BAGDASARIAN; Daisuke UTA; Ehud AHISSAR; Inbal MEIR; Ilan LAMPL; Daichi KURODA; Takahiro FURUTA; Hidemasa FURUE; Kenzo KUMAMOTO

doi:10.2183/pjab.91.560

Original Article

Structure-function correlations of rat trigeminal primary neurons: Emphasis on club-like endings, a vibrissal mechanoreceptor

Sotatsu TONOMURA, Satomi EBARA , Knarik BAGDASARIAN, Daisuke UTA, Ehud AHISSAR, Inbal MEIR, Ilan LAMPL, Daichi KURODA, Takahiro FURUTA, Hidemasa FURUE, Kenzo KUMAMOTO

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Sotatsu TONOMURA
Department of Anatomy, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine
Satomi EBARA Corresponding author
Department of Anatomy, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine
Knarik BAGDASARIAN
Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Daisuke UTA
Department of Information Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences
Department of Applied Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama
Ehud AHISSAR
Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Inbal MEIR
Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Ilan LAMPL
Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Daichi KURODA
Department of Anatomy, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine
Takahiro FURUTA
Department of Morphological Brain Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
Hidemasa FURUE
Department of Information Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences
Kenzo KUMAMOTO
Department of Anatomy, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine

Keywords: primary sensory neuron, intracellular recording, vibrissa, mechanoreceptor, club-like ending, ringwulst

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS FULL-TEXT HTML

2015 Volume 91 Issue 10 Pages 560-576

DOI https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.91.560

Erratum Proc. Jpn. Acad., Ser. B : Vol. 92 (2016) No. 2 pp.76-76

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Abstract

This study focuses on the structure and function of the primary sensory neurons that innervate vibrissal follicles in the rat. Both the peripheral and central terminations, as well as their firing properties were identified using intracellular labelling and recording in trigeminal ganglia in vivo. Fifty-one labelled neurons terminating peripherally, as club-like, Merkel, lanceolate, reticular or spiny endings were identified by their morphology. All neurons responded robustly to air puff stimulation applied to the vibrissal skin. Neurons with club-like endings responded with the highest firing rates; their peripheral processes rarely branched between the cell body and their terminal tips. The central branches of these neurons displayed abundant collaterals terminating within all trigeminal nuclei. Analyses of three-dimensional reconstructions reveal a palisade arrangement of club-like endings bound to the ringwulst by collagen fibers. Our morphological findings suggest that neurons with club-like endings sense mechanical aspects related to the movement of the ringwulst and convey this information to all trigeminal nuclei in the brainstem.

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