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Sensory Schwann cells are required for mechanical nociception and touch perception

Julia Ojeda-Alonso, Laura Calvo-Enrique, Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos, Rakesh Kumar, Ming-Dong Zhang, James F.A. Poulet, Patrik Ernfors, Gary R. Lewin
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.04.477749
Julia Ojeda-Alonso
1Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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Laura Calvo-Enrique
2Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
4Departamento de Biología Celular y Patología, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Spain
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Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos
3Neural Circuits and Behavior, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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Rakesh Kumar
2Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
5School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Ming-Dong Zhang
2Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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James F.A. Poulet
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Patrik Ernfors
2Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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  • For correspondence: glewin@mdc-berlin.de patrik.ernfors@ki.se
Gary R. Lewin
1Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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  • For correspondence: glewin@mdc-berlin.de patrik.ernfors@ki.se
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Abstract

That sensory neurons alone transduce mechanical stimuli was challenged by the discovery of nociceptive Schwann cells that can initiate pain. Consistent with the existence of inherently mechanosensitive sensory Schwann cells, we found that mechanosensory function of almost all nociceptors, including those signaling fast pain were critically dependent on sensory Schwann cells. Furthermore, in polymodal nociceptors, sensory Schwann cells signal mechanical, but not cold or heat pain. Terminal Schwann cells also surround mechanoreceptor nerve-endings forming Meissner’s corpuscles that signal vibrotactile touch, raising the possibility that touch sensation is also dependent on such cells. Using optogenetics we show that Meissner’s corpuscle Schwann cells are necessary for the detection and perception of vibrotactile stimuli. Our results show that sensory Schwann cells within diverse glio-neural mechanosensory end-organs are sensors for mechanical pain as well as touch perception. These results place specialized sensory Schwann cells at the center of somatic sensation to all types of mechanical stimuli.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted February 05, 2022.
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Sensory Schwann cells are required for mechanical nociception and touch perception
Julia Ojeda-Alonso, Laura Calvo-Enrique, Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos, Rakesh Kumar, Ming-Dong Zhang, James F.A. Poulet, Patrik Ernfors, Gary R. Lewin
bioRxiv 2022.02.04.477749; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.04.477749
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Sensory Schwann cells are required for mechanical nociception and touch perception
Julia Ojeda-Alonso, Laura Calvo-Enrique, Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos, Rakesh Kumar, Ming-Dong Zhang, James F.A. Poulet, Patrik Ernfors, Gary R. Lewin
bioRxiv 2022.02.04.477749; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.04.477749

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