Typing Nociceptors

Nociceptive sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) are generally divided into two main subclasses: those that bind the plant isolectin-B4 (IB4) and those that express the nerve growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase A (trkA). However, this week Fang et al. argue that the situation is more complex after assessing a large sample of rat lumbar DRG neurons in vivo. The authors typed the DRGs in terms of size and staining intensity or IB4 and trkA, with results similar to those reported previously. They also filled individual neurons with fluorescent dye and determined their responsiveness to noxious and mechanical stimuli. Strongly IB4+ neurons were all C-type nociceptors, but approximately one-third of IB4+ neurons also expressed trkA. IB4+ neurons expressed the voltage-activated sodium channel Nav1.9 that may contribute to the electrophysiological properties that result in their broader action potentials and slow conduction velocities.

Xin Fang, Laiche Djouhri, Simon McMullan, Carol Berry, Stephen G. Waxman, Kenji Okuse, and Sally N. Lawson

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Typing Nociceptors