1Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
2School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTec University, Shanghai 200031, China

Abstract 

Different physical and chemical stimuli are detected by the peripheral sensory receptors of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, and the generated inputs are transmitted via afferent fibers into the central nervous system. The gene expression profiles of DRG neurons contribute to the generation, transmission, and regulation of various somatosensory signals. Recently, the single-cell transcriptomes, cell types, and functional annotations of somatosensory neurons have been studied. In this review, we introduce our classification of DRG neurons based on single-cell RNA-sequencing and functional analyses, and discuss the technical approaches. Moreover, studies on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying somatic sensations are discussed.

Keywords

Neuron type,Single-cell technology,Somatosensory mechanism,Pain,Gene profiles

[SpringerLink]