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Afferents of peripheral mechanoreceptors innervate the skin of vertebrates, where they detect physical touch via mechanically gated ion channels (mechanotransducers). While the afferent terminal is generally understood to be the primary site of mechanotransduction, the functional properties of mechanically activated (MA) ionic current generated by mechanotransducers at this location remain obscure. Until now, direct evidence of MA current and mechanically induced action potentials in the mechanoreceptor terminal has not been obtained. Here, we report patch-clamp recordings from the afferent terminal innervating Grandry (Meissner) corpuscles in the bill skin of a tactile specialist duck. We show that mechanical stimulation evokes MA current in the afferent with fast kinetics of activation and inactivation during the dynamic phases of the mechanical stimulus. These responses trigger rapidly adapting firing in the afferent detected at the terminal and in the afferent fiber outside of the corpuscle. Our findings elucidate the initial electrogenic events of touch detection in the mechanoreceptor nerve terminal.
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This content will become publicly available on April 3, 2027
Investigating mechanoreceptor variability and morphometric proxies in Rhesus Macaques: Implications for primate precision touch studies
The origin of primates has long been associated with an increased emphasis on manual grasping and touch. Precision touch, facilitated by specialized mechanoreceptors in glabrous skin, provides critical sensory feedback for grasping‐related tasks and perception of ecologically‐relevant stimuli. Despite its importance, studies of mechanoreceptors in primate hands are limited, in part due to challenges of sample availability and histological methods. Dermatoglyphs have been proposed as alternative proxies of mechanoreceptor density. We investigated the relationships between mechanoreceptors (Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles), dermatoglyphs, and demography in the apical finger pads of 15 juvenile to adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) from a free‐ranging population at Cayo Santiago Primate Field Station (Puerto Rico). Our results indicate substantial interindividual variation in mechanoreceptor density (Meissner corpuscles: 11.9–43.3 corpuscles/mm2; Pacinian corpuscles: 0–4.5 corpuscles/mm2). While sex and digit were generally not associated with variation, there was strong evidence of a developmental effect. Specifically, apical pad length, Meissner corpuscle size, and Pacinian corpuscle depth increased while mechanoreceptor densities decreased throughout juvenescence, suggesting that primate mechanoreceptors change as fingers grow during adolescence and then stabilize at physical maturity. We also found Meissner corpuscle density was significantly associated with dermatoglyph ridge width and spacing, such that density predicted by a dermatoglyph model was strongly correlated with observed values. Dermatoglyphs thus offer a useful proxy of relative Meissner corpuscle density in primates, which opens exciting avenues of noninvasive research. Finally, our results underscore the importance of considering demographic factors and methodology in comparative studies of primate touch.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2218023
- PAR ID:
- 10616352
- Publisher / Repository:
- The Anatomical Record
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Anatomical Record
- Volume:
- 309
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1932-8486
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1005-1024
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- glabrous skin innervation growth Macaca Meissner corpuscle non-human primate Pacinian corpuscle sensory system somatosensation
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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