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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <head prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# article: http://ogp.me/ns/article# book: http://ogp.me/ns/book#" >  <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//www.googleadservices.com" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//cdn.pbgrd.com" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//cdn.jsdelivr.net" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//www.google.com" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//cdn.foxycart.com" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//scholar.google.com" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="/node/377324" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Drupal 7 (http://drupal.org)" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <meta name="issue_cover_image" content="https://www.jneurosci.org/sites/default/files/highwire/jneuro/32/10.cover.gif" /> <meta name="type" content="article" /> <meta name="category" content="brief-report" /> <meta name="HW.identifier" content="/jneuro/32/10/3296.atom" /> <meta name="HW.pisa" content="jneuro;32/10/3296" /> <meta name="DC.Format" content="text/html" /> <meta name="DC.Language" content="en" /> <meta name="DC.Title" content="Rodents Rely on Merkel Cells for Texture Discrimination Tasks" /> <meta name="DC.Identifier" content="10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5307-11.2012" /> <meta name="DC.Date" content="2012-03-07" /> <meta name="DC.Publisher" content="Society for Neuroscience" /> <meta name="DC.Rights" content="Copyright 漏 2012 the authors 0270-6474/12/323296-05$15.00/0" /> <meta name="DC.AccessRights" content="restricted" /> <meta name="DC.Description" content="The cutaneous somatosensory system contains multiple types of mechanoreceptors that detect different mechanical stimuli ([Johnson, 2001][1]). These stimuli, either alone or in combination, are ultimately interpreted by the brain as different aspects of the sense of touch. Psychophysical and electrophysiological experiments in humans and other mammals implicate one of these mechanoreceptors, the Merkel cell/neurite complex, in two-point discrimination and the detection of curvature, shape, and texture ([Johnson and Lamb, 1981][2]; [Johnson et al., 2000][3]; [Johnson, 2001][1]). However, whether Merkel cell/neurite complex function is required for the detection of these stimuli is unknown. We genetically engineered mice that lack Merkel cells ([Maricich et al., 2009][4]; [Morrison et al., 2009][5]) to directly test the hypothesis that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are necessary to perform these types of sensory discrimination tasks. We found that mice devoid of Merkel cells could not detect textured surfaces with their feet while other measures of motor and sensory function were unaffected. Interestingly, these mice retained the ability to discriminate both texture and shape using their whiskers, suggesting that other somatosensory afferents can functionally substitute for Merkel cell/neurite complexes in this sensory organ. These findings suggest that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are essential for texture discrimination tasks involving glabrous skin but not whiskers. [1]: #ref-15 [2]: #ref-16 [3]: #ref-17 [4]: #ref-21 [5]: #ref-24" /> <meta name="DC.Contributor" content="Stephen M. Maricich" /> <meta name="DC.Contributor" content="Kristin M. Morrison" /> <meta name="DC.Contributor" content="Erin L. Mathes" /> <meta name="DC.Contributor" content="Brittany M. Brewer" /> <meta name="article:published_time" content="2012-03-07" /> <meta name="article:section" content="Brief Communications" /> <meta name="citation_title" content="Rodents Rely on Merkel Cells for Texture Discrimination Tasks" /> <meta name="citation_abstract" lang="en" content="<p>The cutaneous somatosensory system contains multiple types of mechanoreceptors that detect different mechanical stimuli (Johnson, 2001). These stimuli, either alone or in combination, are ultimately interpreted by the brain as different aspects of the sense of touch. Psychophysical and electrophysiological experiments in humans and other mammals implicate one of these mechanoreceptors, the Merkel cell/neurite complex, in two-point discrimination and the detection of curvature, shape, and texture (Johnson and Lamb, 1981; Johnson et al., 2000; Johnson, 2001). However, whether Merkel cell/neurite complex function is required for the detection of these stimuli is unknown. We genetically engineered mice that lack Merkel cells (Maricich et al., 2009; Morrison et al., 2009) to directly test the hypothesis that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are necessary to perform these types of sensory discrimination tasks. We found that mice devoid of Merkel cells could not detect textured surfaces with their feet while other measures of motor and sensory function were unaffected. Interestingly, these mice retained the ability to discriminate both texture and shape using their whiskers, suggesting that other somatosensory afferents can functionally substitute for Merkel cell/neurite complexes in this sensory organ. These findings suggest that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are essential for texture discrimination tasks involving glabrous skin but not whiskers.</p>" /> <meta name="citation_journal_title" content="Journal of Neuroscience" /> <meta name="citation_publisher" content="Society for Neuroscience" /> <meta name="citation_publication_date" content="2012/03/07" /> <meta name="citation_mjid" content="jneuro;32/10/3296" /> <meta name="citation_id" content="32/10/3296" /> <meta name="citation_public_url" content="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/10/3296" /> <meta name="citation_abstract_html_url" content="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/10/3296.abstract" /> <meta name="citation_full_html_url" content="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/10/3296.full" /> <meta name="citation_pdf_url" content="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/32/10/3296.full.pdf" /> <meta name="citation_issn" content="0270-6474" /> <meta name="citation_issn" content="1529-2401" /> <meta name="citation_journal_abbrev" content="J. 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Hsiao;citation_title=Texture perception through direct and indirect touch: an analysis of perceptual space for tactile textures in two modes of exploration.;citation_pages=53-70;citation_volume=24;citation_year=2007;citation_issue=1-2;citation_pmid=17558923;citation_doi=10.1080/08990220701318163" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Rodents Rely on Merkel Cells for Texture Discrimination Tasks" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.jneurosci.org/sites/default/files/highwire/jneuro/32/10.cover.gif" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="The cutaneous somatosensory system contains multiple types of mechanoreceptors that detect different mechanical stimuli ([Johnson, 2001][1]). These stimuli, either alone or in combination, are ultimately interpreted by the brain as different aspects of the sense of touch. Psychophysical and electrophysiological experiments in humans and other mammals implicate one of these mechanoreceptors, the Merkel cell/neurite complex, in two-point discrimination and the detection of curvature, shape, and texture ([Johnson and Lamb, 1981][2]; [Johnson et al., 2000][3]; [Johnson, 2001][1]). However, whether Merkel cell/neurite complex function is required for the detection of these stimuli is unknown. We genetically engineered mice that lack Merkel cells ([Maricich et al., 2009][4]; [Morrison et al., 2009][5]) to directly test the hypothesis that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are necessary to perform these types of sensory discrimination tasks. We found that mice devoid of Merkel cells could not detect textured surfaces with their feet while other measures of motor and sensory function were unaffected. Interestingly, these mice retained the ability to discriminate both texture and shape using their whiskers, suggesting that other somatosensory afferents can functionally substitute for Merkel cell/neurite complexes in this sensory organ. These findings suggest that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are essential for texture discrimination tasks involving glabrous skin but not whiskers. [1]: #ref-15 [2]: #ref-16 [3]: #ref-17 [4]: #ref-21 [5]: #ref-24" /> <meta name="og-title" property="og:title" content="Rodents Rely on Merkel Cells for Texture Discrimination Tasks" /> <meta name="og-url" property="og:url" content="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/10/3296" /> <meta name="og-site-name" property="og:site_name" content="Journal of Neuroscience" /> <meta name="og-description" property="og:description" content="The cutaneous somatosensory system contains multiple types of mechanoreceptors that detect different mechanical stimuli ([Johnson, 2001][1]). These stimuli, either alone or in combination, are ultimately interpreted by the brain as different aspects of the sense of touch. Psychophysical and electrophysiological experiments in humans and other mammals implicate one of these mechanoreceptors, the Merkel cell/neurite complex, in two-point discrimination and the detection of curvature, shape, and texture ([Johnson and Lamb, 1981][2]; [Johnson et al., 2000][3]; [Johnson, 2001][1]). However, whether Merkel cell/neurite complex function is required for the detection of these stimuli is unknown. We genetically engineered mice that lack Merkel cells ([Maricich et al., 2009][4]; [Morrison et al., 2009][5]) to directly test the hypothesis that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are necessary to perform these types of sensory discrimination tasks. We found that mice devoid of Merkel cells could not detect textured surfaces with their feet while other measures of motor and sensory function were unaffected. Interestingly, these mice retained the ability to discriminate both texture and shape using their whiskers, suggesting that other somatosensory afferents can functionally substitute for Merkel cell/neurite complexes in this sensory organ. These findings suggest that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are essential for texture discrimination tasks involving glabrous skin but not whiskers. 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class="title">Next</span> <span class="icon-circle-arrow-right"></span></a></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-highwire-article-citation" > <div class="pane-content"> <div class="highwire-article-citation highwire-citation-type-highwire-article node377324--5" data-node-nid="377324" id="node-377324--61187031838" data-pisa="jneuro;32/10/3296" data-pisa-master="jneuro;32/10/3296" data-apath="/jneuro/32/10/3296.atom" data-hw-author-tooltip-instance="highwire_author_tooltip"><div class="highwire-cite highwire-cite-highwire-article highwire-citation-jnl-eneuro-styles-article-title-complete-plus clearfix has-author-tooltip highwire-citation-highwire-article-top-a"> <div class="highwire-cite-overline"><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-fa-ca-prefix highwire-cite-metadata"><span class="featured-article">Featured Article</span></span><span class="separator-pipe"></span><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-art-cat highwire-cite-metadata"><span class="wrapper">Brief Communications</span></span></div> <div class="highwire-cite-access"><span class="highwire-citation-access highwire-citation-access-check" data-pisa-id="jneuro;32/10/3296" data-atom-uri="/jneuro/32/10/3296.atom" data-request-view="full"></span></div> <h1 class="highwire-cite-title" id="page-title">Rodents Rely on Merkel Cells for Texture Discrimination Tasks</h1> <div class="highwire-cite-authors"><span class="highwire-citation-authors"><span class="highwire-citation-author first" data-delta="0">Stephen M. Maricich</span>, <span class="highwire-citation-author" data-delta="1">Kristin M. Morrison</span>, <span class="highwire-citation-author" data-delta="2">Erin L. Mathes</span> and <span class="highwire-citation-author" data-delta="3">Brittany M. Brewer</span></span></div> <div class="highwire-cite-metadata"><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-journal highwire-cite-metadata">Journal of Neuroscience </span><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-date highwire-cite-metadata">7 March 2012, </span><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-volume highwire-cite-metadata">32 </span><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-issue highwire-cite-metadata">(10) </span><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-pages highwire-cite-metadata">3296-3300; </span><span class="highwire-cite-metadata-doi highwire-cite-metadata">https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5307-11.2012 </span></div> <div class="highwire-cite-extras"><span class="highwire-foxycart-add-to-cart-ahah highwire-foxycart-add-to-cart-ahah" data-text="Add to Cart (%short-price)" data-apath="/jneuro/32/10/3296.atom" data-type="link" data-font-icon="icon-shopping-cart" data-parent-id="349455"></span></div> </div> <div id="hw-article-author-popups-node-377324--61187031838" style="display: none;"><div class="author-tooltip-0"><div class="author-tooltip-name">Stephen M. Maricich </div><ul class="author-tooltip-find-more"><li class="author-tooltip-gs-link first"><a href="/lookup/google-scholar?link_type=googlescholar&gs_type=author&author%5B0%5D=Stephen%2BM.%2BMaricich%2B" target="_blank" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Find this author on Google Scholar</a></li><li class="author-tooltip-pubmed-link"><a href="/lookup/external-ref?access_num=Maricich%20SM&link_type=AUTHORSEARCH" target="_blank" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Find this author on PubMed</a></li><li class="author-site-search-link last"><a href="/search/author1%3AStephen%2BM.%2BMaricich%2B" rel="nofollow" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Search for this author on this site</a></li></ul></div><div class="author-tooltip-1"><div class="author-tooltip-name">Kristin M. 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Mathes </div><ul class="author-tooltip-find-more"><li class="author-tooltip-gs-link first"><a href="/lookup/google-scholar?link_type=googlescholar&gs_type=author&author%5B0%5D=Erin%2BL.%2BMathes%2B" target="_blank" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Find this author on Google Scholar</a></li><li class="author-tooltip-pubmed-link"><a href="/lookup/external-ref?access_num=Mathes%20EL&link_type=AUTHORSEARCH" target="_blank" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Find this author on PubMed</a></li><li class="author-site-search-link last"><a href="/search/author1%3AErin%2BL.%2BMathes%2B" rel="nofollow" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Search for this author on this site</a></li></ul></div><div class="author-tooltip-3"><div class="author-tooltip-name">Brittany M. Brewer </div><ul class="author-tooltip-find-more"><li class="author-tooltip-gs-link first"><a href="/lookup/google-scholar?link_type=googlescholar&gs_type=author&author%5B0%5D=Brittany%2BM.%2BBrewer%2B" target="_blank" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Find this author on Google Scholar</a></li><li class="author-tooltip-pubmed-link"><a href="/lookup/external-ref?access_num=Brewer%20BM&link_type=AUTHORSEARCH" target="_blank" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Find this author on PubMed</a></li><li class="author-site-search-link last"><a href="/search/author1%3ABrittany%2BM.%2BBrewer%2B" rel="nofollow" class="" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">Search for this author on this site</a></li></ul></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="panel-row-wrapper clearfix"> <div class="main-content-wrapper grid-17 suffix-1 alpha"> <div class="panel-panel panel-region-content"> <div class="inside"><div class="panel-pane pane-highwire-panel-tabs pane-panels-ajax-tab-tabs" > <div class="pane-content"> <div class="item-list"><ul class="tabs inline panels-ajax-tab"><li class="first"><a href="/content/32/10/3296" class="panels-ajax-tab-tab" data-panel-name="jnl_sfneneuro_tab_art" data-target-id="highwire_article_tabs" data-entity-context="node:377324" data-trigger="" data-url-enabled="1">Article</a><a href="/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_sfneneuro_tab_art/node:377324/1" rel="nofollow" style="display:none" class="js-crawler-link"></a></li><li><a href="/content/32/10/3296/tab-figures-data" class="panels-ajax-tab-tab" data-panel-name="jnl_sfneneuro_tab_data" data-target-id="highwire_article_tabs" data-entity-context="node:377324" data-trigger="tab-figures-data" data-url-enabled="1">Figures & Data</a><a href="/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_sfneneuro_tab_data/node:377324/1" rel="nofollow" style="display:none" class="js-crawler-link"></a></li><li><a href="/content/32/10/3296/tab-article-info" class="panels-ajax-tab-tab" data-panel-name="jnl_sfneneuro_tab_info" data-target-id="highwire_article_tabs" data-entity-context="node:377324" data-trigger="tab-article-info" data-url-enabled="1">Info & Metrics</a><a href="/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_sfneneuro_tab_info/node:377324/1" rel="nofollow" style="display:none" class="js-crawler-link"></a></li><li><a href="/content/32/10/3296/tab-e-letters" class="panels-ajax-tab-tab" data-panel-name="jnl_sfneneuro_tab_elets" data-target-id="highwire_article_tabs" data-entity-context="node:377324" data-trigger="tab-e-letters" data-url-enabled="1">eLetters</a><a href="/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_sfneneuro_tab_elets/node:377324/1" rel="nofollow" style="display:none" class="js-crawler-link"></a></li><li class="last"><a href="/content/jneuro/32/10/3296.full.pdf" class="panels-ajax-tab-tab" data-panel-name="jnl_sfneneuro_tab_pdf" data-target-id="highwire_article_tabs" data-entity-context="node:377324" data-trigger="tab-pdf" data-url-enabled="1"><i class="icon-file-alt"></i> PDF</a><a href="/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_sfneneuro_tab_pdf/node:377324/1" rel="nofollow" style="display:none" class="js-crawler-link"></a></li></ul></div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-highwire-panel-tabs-container" > <div class="pane-content"> <div data-panels-ajax-tab-preloaded="jnl_sfneneuro_tab_art" id="panels-ajax-tab-container-highwire_article_tabs" class="panels-ajax-tab-container"><div class="panels-ajax-tab-loading" style ="display:none"><img class="loading" src="https://www.jneurosci.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/panels_ajax_tab/images/loading.gif" alt="Loading" title="Loading" /></div><div class="panels-ajax-tab-wrap-jnl_sfneneuro_tab_art"><div class="panel-display panel-1col clearfix" > <div class="panel-panel panel-col"> <div><div class="panel-pane pane-highwire-markup" > <div class="pane-content"> <div class="highwire-markup"><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="content-block-markup" data-highwire-cite-ref-tooltip-instance="highwire_reflinks_tooltip" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div class="article abstract-view"><span class="highwire-journal-article-marker-start"></span><div class="section abstract" id="abstract-1"><h2>Abstract</h2><p id="p-2">The cutaneous somatosensory system contains multiple types of mechanoreceptors that detect different mechanical stimuli (<a id="xref-ref-15-1" class="xref-bibr" href="#ref-15">Johnson, 2001</a>). These stimuli, either alone or in combination, are ultimately interpreted by the brain as different aspects of the sense of touch. Psychophysical and electrophysiological experiments in humans and other mammals implicate one of these mechanoreceptors, the Merkel cell/neurite complex, in two-point discrimination and the detection of curvature, shape, and texture (<a id="xref-ref-16-1" class="xref-bibr" href="#ref-16">Johnson and Lamb, 1981</a>; <a id="xref-ref-17-1" class="xref-bibr" href="#ref-17">Johnson et al., 2000</a>; <a id="xref-ref-15-2" class="xref-bibr" href="#ref-15">Johnson, 2001</a>). However, whether Merkel cell/neurite complex function is required for the detection of these stimuli is unknown. We genetically engineered mice that lack Merkel cells (<a id="xref-ref-21-1" class="xref-bibr" href="#ref-21">Maricich et al., 2009</a>; <a id="xref-ref-24-1" class="xref-bibr" href="#ref-24">Morrison et al., 2009</a>) to directly test the hypothesis that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are necessary to perform these types of sensory discrimination tasks. We found that mice devoid of Merkel cells could not detect textured surfaces with their feet while other measures of motor and sensory function were unaffected. Interestingly, these mice retained the ability to discriminate both texture and shape using their whiskers, suggesting that other somatosensory afferents can functionally substitute for Merkel cell/neurite complexes in this sensory organ. These findings suggest that Merkel cell/neurite complexes are essential for texture discrimination tasks involving glabrous skin but not whiskers.</p></div><span class="highwire-journal-article-marker-end"></span></div><span class="related-urls"></span></div><a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/10/3296.full" class="hw-link hw-link-article-full-text" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0">View Full Text</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-highwire-back-to-top" > <div class="pane-content"> <a href="#page" class="back-to-top" data-icon-position="" data-hide-link-title="0"><span class="icon-chevron-up"></span> Back to top</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sidebar-right-wrapper grid-10 omega"> <div class="panel-panel panel-region-sidebar-right"> <div class="inside"><div class="panel-pane pane-panels-mini pane-jnl-sfneneuro-art-issue" > <h2 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