Computation predicts rapidly adapting mechanotransduction currents cannot account for tactile encoding in Merkel cell-neurite complexes

摘要

Author summary Slowly-adapting type I (SAI) cutaneous afferents help us discriminate fine spatial details. Their physiology and anatomy are distinguished by their slow adaptation in firing to held stimuli and innervation of Merkel cells, respectively. How mechanotransduction currents in Merkel cells and sensory neurons combine to give rise to neural spike firing is unknown. In considering wildtype animals, as well as Atoh1 conditional knockout animals that lack Merkel cells, this effort employs a computational modeling approach constrained by biological measurements. For the developed generator function to recapitulate firing responses across genotype, a previously unsuspected current source is required. Thus, the model makes specific predictions for future experimental studies.