David D. Ginty

The paper presents tools to reconstruct spinal cord circuits and identifies modality-specific inhibitory synapses between sensory neurons and inhibitory neurons.

The paper maps synaptic connections in the mouse spinal dorsal horn to show how different sensory modalities are routed through distinct pathways to the brain.

The paper shows that somatosensory neuron repertoires in mammals diversify through changes to conserved neuron types, enabling adaptation to different habitats and body forms.

The paper identifies Gi/o-coupled GPCRs in nociceptors and shows that Htr1b agonists like triptans reduce neuronal excitability and pain in models, suggesting new analgesic targets.

The paper identifies A{delta}-HTMRs as fast-conducting mechanonociceptors that drive protective pain responses through unique spinal reflex circuits.

This study uses spatial transcriptomics to map the organization of the mouse spinal cord and identifies changes in neuronal subtypes and communication patterns in neuropathic pain.

The paper identifies a specific subtype of injured C-fibre nociceptors in neuromas that drive chronic spontaneous neuropathic pain in mice.

This study shows that neuronal activity is essential for the development of touch receptors, as genetic disruption of Piezo2 and Nav1.6 leads to structural and functional defects in mechanosensory neurons.

The paper examines how sensory input, sex, and function influence the developmental trajectories of hypothalamic cell types during early life transitions.

Opposing glutamatergic MPN Isolation and mostly GABAergic MPN Reunion neurons in the mouse preoptic hypothalamus encode social need and satiety, with touch as a likely cue.

The paper shows that the auditory midbrain encodes high-frequency mechanical vibrations detected by Pacinian corpuscles, enabling behavioral responses to tactile vibrations.

This study records low-threshold mechanoreceptors in freely moving mice and finds that Pacinian neurons encode both self-initiated movements and distant environmental vibrations.

This study identifies a C-LTMR-spinoparabrachial pathway that mediates wet dog shakes in mice by detecting oil droplets and triggering rapid removal of foreign particles from hairy skin.

This study shows nerve injury disrupts temporal firing patterns in spinal cord dorsal horn neurons, driven by PV+ interneurons, contributing to mechanical allodynia.

This study uses 3D reconstructions of mechanosensory end organs to propose a unified mechanism for Aβ RA-LTMR activation through axon protrusions and Piezo2 distribution.

The paper identifies distinct subsets of DRG neurons innervating the distal colon with different mechanosensitivity thresholds, showing their role in physiological and pathological responses to colon distension.

This study identifies Krause corpuscles as vibrotactile sensors in the genitalia essential for normal sexual behavior in mice.

This study examines how the timing of altered touch processing in mouse models of ASD relates to different behavioral outcomes in adulthood.

The paper develops a genetic toolkit to study DRG neuron subtypes, revealing their molecular, morphological, and functional diversity in response to mechanical and thermal stimuli.

This study shows that γ-protocadherin isoforms are critical for synapse formation and peripheral branching in touch sensory neurons, and their loss disrupts corticospinal synapses.

The paper shows that palmitoylation of neuropilin-2 is necessary for its localization and function in cortical neurons, and that different palmitoyl acyltransferases regulate its and neuropilin-1's roles in semaphorin signaling.

This study shows that LTMR and PSDC subdivisions of the dorsal column encode different tactile features and converge differently in the DCN.

This study shows that spinal cord dorsal horn neurons integrate inputs from multiple mechanoreceptor subtypes, leading to diverse mechanical response profiles and influencing tactile representations in the brain.

The paper shows that mechanoreceptor synapses in the brainstem develop differently based on their proximity to glabrous skin, shaping the central representation of touch.