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Synaptic Communication upon Gentle Touch
Sylvia Fechner1, Miriam B Goodman1
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Abstract:
Gentle touch sensation in mammals depends on synaptic transmission from primary sensory cells (Merkel cells) to secondary sensory neurons. Hoffman et al. (2018) identify norepinephrine and β2-adrendergic receptors as the neurotransmitter-receptor pair responsible for sustained touch responses. The findings may deepen understanding of how drugs affect touch and pain sensation.
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