Deep sequencing of Phox2a nuclei reveals five classes of anterolateral system neurons.

The anterolateral system (ALS) is a major ascending pathway from the spinal cord that projects to multiple brain areas and underlies the perception of pain, itch, and skin temperature. Despite its importance, our understanding of this system has been hampered by the considerable functional and molecular diversity of its constituent cells. Here, we use fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate ALS neurons belonging to the Phox2a-lineage for single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We reveal five distinct clusters of ALS neurons (ALS1-5) and document their laminar distribution in the spinal cord using in situ hybridization. We identify three clusters of neurons located predominantly in laminae I-III of the dorsal horn (ALS1-3) and two clusters with cell bodies located in deeper laminae (ALS4 and ALS5). Our findings reveal the transcriptional logic that underlies ALS neuronal diversity in the adult mouse and uncover the molecular identity of two previously identified classes of projection neurons. We also show that these molecular signatures can be used to target groups of ALS neurons using retrograde viral tracing. Overall, our findings provide a valuable resource for studying somatosensory biology and targeting subclasses of ALS neurons.

Nav1.7 is required for normal C-low threshold mechanoreceptor function in humans and mice.

Patients with bi-allelic loss of function mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 present with congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP), whilst low threshold mechanosensation is reportedly normal. Using psychophysics (n = 6 CIP participants and n = 86 healthy controls) and facial electromyography (n = 3 CIP participants and n = 8 healthy controls), we found that these patients also have abnormalities in the encoding of affective touch, which is mediated by the specialized afferents C-low threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs). In the mouse, we found that C-LTMRs express high levels of Nav1.7. Genetic loss or selective pharmacological inhibition of Nav1.7 in C-LTMRs resulted in a significant reduction in the total sodium current density, an increased mechanical threshold and reduced sensitivity to non-noxious cooling. The behavioural consequence of loss of Nav1.7 in C-LTMRs in mice was an elevation in the von Frey mechanical threshold and less sensitivity to cooling on a thermal gradient. Nav1.7 is therefore not only essential for normal pain perception but also for normal C-LTMR function, cool sensitivity and affective touch.

Molecular and cellular correlates of human nerve regeneration: ADCYAP1/PACAP enhance nerve outgrowth.

We only have a rudimentary understanding of the molecular and cellular determinants of nerve regeneration and neuropathic pain in humans. This cohort study uses the most common entrapment neuropathy (carpal tunnel syndrome) as a human model system to prospectively evaluate the cellular and molecular correlates of neural regeneration and its relationship with clinical recovery. In 60 patients undergoing carpal tunnel surgery [36 female, mean age 62.5 (standard deviation 12.2) years], we used quantitative sensory testing and nerve conduction studies to evaluate the function of large and small fibres before and 6 months after surgery. Clinical recovery was assessed with the global rating of change scale and Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Twenty healthy participants provided normative data [14 female, mean age 58.0 (standard deviation 12.9) years]. At 6 months post-surgery, we noted significant recovery of median nerve neurophysiological parameters (P < 0.0001) and improvements in quantitative sensory testing measures of both small and large nerve fibre function (P < 0.002). Serial biopsies revealed a partial recovery of intraepidermal nerve fibre density [fibres/mm epidermis pre: 4.20 (2.83), post: 5.35 (3.34), P = 0.001], whose extent correlated with symptom improvement (r = 0.389, P = 0.001). In myelinated afferents, nodal length increased postoperatively [pre: 2.03 (0.82), post: 3.03 (1.23), P < 0.0001] suggesting that this is an adaptive phenomenon. Transcriptional profiling of the skin revealed 31 differentially expressed genes following decompression, with ADCYAP1 (encoding pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide, PACAP) being the most strongly upregulated (log2 fold-change 1.87, P = 0.0001) and its expression was associated with recovery of intraepidermal nerve fibres. We found that human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons expressed the receptor for PACAP and that this peptide could significantly enhance axon outgrowth in a dose-dependent manner in vitro [neurite length PACAP 1065.0 µm (285.5), vehicle 570.9 µm (181.8), P = 0.003]. In conclusion, carpal tunnel release is associated with significant cutaneous reinnervation, which correlates with the degree of functional improvement and is associated with a transcriptional programme relating to morphogenesis and inflammatory processes. The most highly dysregulated gene ADCYAP1 (encoding PACAP) was associated with reinnervation and, given that this peptide signals through G-protein coupled receptors, this signalling pathway provides an interesting therapeutic target for human sensory nerve regeneration.

A causal role for TRESK loss of function in migraine mechanisms.

The two-pore potassium channel, TRESK has been implicated in nociception and pain disorders. We have for the first time investigated TRESK function in human nociceptive neurons using induced pluripotent stem cell-based models. Nociceptors from migraine patients with the F139WfsX2 mutation show loss of functional TRESK at the membrane, with a corresponding significant increase in neuronal excitability. Furthermore, using CRISPR-Cas9 engineering to correct the F139WfsX2 mutation, we show a reversal of the heightened neuronal excitability, linking the phenotype to the mutation. In contrast we find no change in excitability in induced pluripotent stem cell derived nociceptors with the C110R mutation and preserved TRESK current; thereby confirming that only the frameshift mutation is associated with loss of function and a migraine relevant cellular phenotype. We then demonstrate the importance of TRESK to pain states by showing that the TRESK activator, cloxyquin, can reduce the spontaneous firing of nociceptors in an in vitro human pain model. Using the chronic nitroglycerine rodent migraine model, we demonstrate that mice lacking TRESK develop exaggerated nitroglycerine-induced mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, and furthermore, show that cloxyquin conversely is able to prevent sensitization. Collectively, our findings provide evidence for a role of TRESK in migraine pathogenesis and its suitability as a therapeutic target.

Using an engineered glutamate-gated chloride channel to silence sensory neurons and treat neuropathic pain at the source.

See Basbaum (doi:10.1093/brain/awx227) for a scientific commentary on this article. Peripheral neuropathic pain arises as a consequence of injury to sensory neurons; the development of ectopic activity in these neurons is thought to be critical for the induction and maintenance of such pain. Local anaesthetics and anti-epileptic drugs can suppress hyperexcitability; however, these drugs are complicated by unwanted effects on motor, central nervous system and cardiac function, and alternative more selective treatments to suppress hyperexcitability are therefore required. Here we show that a glutamate-gated chloride channel modified to be activated by low doses of ivermectin (but not glutamate) is highly effective in silencing sensory neurons and reversing neuropathic pain-related hypersensitivity. Activation of the glutamate-gated chloride channel expressed in either rodent or human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons in vitro potently inhibited their response to both electrical and algogenic stimuli. We have shown that silencing is achieved both at nerve terminals and the soma and is independent of membrane hyperpolarization and instead likely mediated by lowering of the membrane resistance. Using intrathecal adeno-associated virus serotype 9-based delivery, the glutamate-gated chloride channel was successfully targeted to mouse sensory neurons in vivo, resulting in high level and long-lasting expression of the channel selectively in sensory neurons. This enabled reproducible and reversible modulation of thermal and mechanical pain thresholds in vivo; analgesia was observed for 3 days after a single systemic dose of ivermectin. We did not observe any motor or proprioceptive deficits and noted no reduction in cutaneous afferent innervation or upregulation of the injury marker ATF3 following prolonged glutamate-gated chloride channel expression. Established mechanical and cold pain-related hypersensitivity generated by the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain was reversed by ivermectin treatment. The efficacy of ivermectin in ameliorating behavioural hypersensitivity was mirrored at the cellular level by a cessation of ectopic activity in sensory neurons. These findings demonstrate the importance of aberrant afferent input in the maintenance of neuropathic pain and the potential for targeted chemogenetic silencing as a new treatment modality in neuropathic pain.

Peripheral nerve injury results in a biased loss of sensory neuron subpopulations.

ABSTRACT: There is a rich literature describing the loss of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons following peripheral axotomy, but the vulnerability of discrete subpopulations has not yet been characterised. Furthermore, the extent or even presence of neuron loss following injury has recently been challenged. In this study, we have used a range of transgenic recombinase driver mouse lines to genetically label molecularly defined subpopulations of DRG neurons and track their survival following traumatic nerve injury. We find that spared nerve injury leads to a marked loss of cells containing DRG volume and a concomitant loss of small-diameter DRG neurons. Neuron loss occurs unequally across subpopulations and is particularly prevalent in nonpeptidergic nociceptors, marked by expression of Mrgprd. We show that this subpopulation is almost entirely lost following spared nerve injury and severely depleted (by roughly 50%) following sciatic nerve crush. Finally, we used an in vitro model of DRG neuron survival to demonstrate that nonpeptidergic nociceptor loss is likely dependent on the absence of neurotrophic support. Together, these results profile the extent to which DRG neuron subpopulations can survive axotomy, with implications for our understanding of nerve injury-induced plasticity and pain.

Antibodies Against the Gastrin-releasing Peptide Precursor Pro-Gastrin-releasing Peptide Reveal Its Expression in the Mouse Spinal Dorsal Horn.

Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) in the spinal dorsal horn acts on the GRP receptor, and this signalling mechanism has been strongly implicated in itch. However, the source of GRP in the dorsal horn is not fully understood. For example, the BAC transgenic mouse line GRP::GFP only captures around 25% of GRP-expressing cells, and Grp mRNA is found in several types of excitatory interneuron. A major limitation in attempts to identify GRP-expressing neurons has been that antibodies against GRP cross-react with other neuropeptides, including some that are expressed by primary afferents. Here we have developed two antibodies raised against different parts of the precursor protein, pro-GRP. We show that labelling is specific, and that the antibodies do not cross-react with neuropeptides in primary afferents. Immunoreactivity was strongest in the superficial laminae, and the two antibodies labelled identical structures, including glutamatergic axons and cell bodies. The pattern of pro-GRP-immunoreactivity varied among different neurochemical classes of excitatory interneuron. Cell bodies and axons of all GRP-GFP cells were labelled, confirming reliability of the antibodies. Among the other populations, we found the highest degree of co-expression (>50%) in axons of NPFF-expressing cells, while this was somewhat lower (10-20%) in cells that expressed substance P and NKB, and much lower (<10%) in other classes. Our findings show that these antibodies reliably detect GRP-expressing neurons and axons, and that in addition to the GRP-GFP cells, excitatory interneurons expressing NPFF or substance P are likely to be the main source of GRP in the spinal dorsal horn.

GluCl.Cre ON enables selective inhibition of molecularly defined pain circuits.

ABSTRACT: Insight into nociceptive circuits will ultimately build our understanding of pain processing and aid the development of analgesic strategies. Neural circuit analysis has been advanced greatly by the development of optogenetic and chemogenetic tools, which have allowed function to be ascribed to discrete neuronal populations. Neurons of the dorsal root ganglion, which include nociceptors, have proved challenging targets for chemogenetic manipulation given specific confounds with commonly used DREADD technology. We have developed a cre/lox dependant version of the engineered glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) to restrict and direct its expression to molecularly defined neuronal populations. We have generated GluCl.Cre ON that selectively renders neurons expressing cre-recombinase susceptible to agonist-induced silencing. We have functionally validated our tool in multiple systems in vitro, and subsequently generated viral vectors and tested its applicability in vivo. Using Nav1.8 Cre mice to restrict AAV-GluCl.Cre ON to nociceptors, we demonstrate effective silencing of electrical activity in vivo and concomitant hyposensitivity to noxious thermal and noxious mechanical pain, whereas light touch and motor function remained intact. We also demonstrated that our strategy can effectively silence inflammatory-like pain in a chemical pain model. Collectively, we have generated a novel tool that can be used to selectively silence defined neuronal circuits in vitro and in vivo. We believe that this addition to the chemogenetic tool box will facilitate further understanding of pain circuits and guide future therapeutic development.

Deep sequencing of Phox2a nuclei reveals five classes of anterolateral system neurons.

The anterolateral system (ALS) is a major ascending pathway from the spinal cord that projects to multiple brain areas and underlies the perception of pain, itch and skin temperature. Despite its importance, our understanding of this system has been hampered by the considerable functional and molecular diversity of its constituent cells. Here we use fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate ALS neurons belonging to the Phox2a-lineage for single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We reveal five distinct clusters of ALS neurons (ALS1-5) and document their laminar distribution in the spinal cord using in situ hybridization. We identify 3 clusters of neurons located predominantly in laminae I-III of the dorsal horn (ALS1-3) and two clusters with cell bodies located in deeper laminae (ALS4 & ALS5). Our findings reveal the transcriptional logic that underlies ALS neuronal diversity in the adult mouse and uncover the molecular identity of two previously identified classes of projection neurons. We also show that these molecular signatures can be used to target groups of ALS neurons using retrograde viral tracing. Overall, our findings provide a valuable resource for studying somatosensory biology and targeting subclasses of ALS neurons.

New directions in migraine.

Migraine is a highly prevalent neurological disorder imparting a major burden on health care around the world. The primary pathology may be a state of hyperresponsiveness of the nervous system, but the molecular mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated. We could now be at a watershed moment in this respect, as the genetic loci associated with typical forms of migraine are being revealed. The genetic discoveries are the latest step in the evolution of our understanding of migraine, which was initially considered a cerebrovascular condition, then a neuroinflammatory process and now primarily a neurogenic disorder. Indeed, the genetic findings, which have revealed ion channels and transporter mutations as causative of migraine, are a powerful argument for the neurogenic basis of migraine. Modulations of ion channels leading to amelioration of the migraine 'hyperresponsive' brain represent attractive targets for drug discovery. There lies ahead an exciting and rapidly progressing phase of migraine translational research, and in this review we highlight recent genetic findings and consider how these may affect the future of migraine neurobiology and therapy.

Cellular models of pain: New technologies and their potential to progress preclinical research.

In vitro models fill a vital niche in preclinical pain research, allowing detailed study of molecular pathways, and in the case of humanised systems, providing a translational bridge between in vivo animal models and human patients. Significant advances in cellular technology available to basic pain researchers have occurred in the last decade, including developing protocols to differentiate sensory neuron-like cells from stem cells and greater access to human dorsal root ganglion tissue. In this review, we discuss the use of both models in preclinical pain research: What can a human sensory neuron in a dish tell us that rodent in vivo models cannot? How similar are these models to their endogenous counterparts, and how should we judge them? What limitations do we need to consider? How can we leverage cell models to improve translational success? In vitro human sensory neuron models equip pain researchers with a valuable tool to investigate human nociception. With continual development, consideration for their advantages and limitations, and effective integration with other experimental strategies, they could become a driving force for the pain field's advancement.

The Role of TRESK in Discrete Sensory Neuron Populations and Somatosensory Processing.

Two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels generate K+ leak current, which serves a vital role in controlling and modulating neuronal excitability. This diverse family of K+ channels exhibit distinct expression and function across neuronal tissues. TWIK-related spinal cord K+ channel (TRESK) is a K2P channel with a particularly enriched role in sensory neurons and in vivo pain pathways. Here, we explored the role of TRESK across molecularly distinct sensory neuron populations and assessed its contribution to different sensory modalities. We found TRESK mRNA only in select populations of C- and A-δ nociceptors, in addition to low threshold D-hair afferents. Neurons from mice in which TRESK has been ablated demonstrated marked hyperexcitability, which was amplified under inflammatory challenge. Detailed behavioral phenotyping of TRESK knockout mice revealed specific deficits in somatosensory processing of noxious and non-noxious stimuli. These results demonstrate novel roles of TRESK in somatosensory processing and offer important information to those wishing to target the channel for therapeutic means.

The Genetics of Neuropathic Pain from Model Organisms to Clinical Application.

Neuropathic pain (NeuP) arises due to injury of the somatosensory nervous system and is both common and disabling, rendering an urgent need for non-addictive, effective new therapies. Given the high evolutionary conservation of pain, investigative approaches from Drosophila mutagenesis to human Mendelian genetics have aided our understanding of the maladaptive plasticity underlying NeuP. Successes include the identification of ion channel variants causing hyper-excitability and the importance of neuro-immune signaling. Recent developments encompass improved sensory phenotyping in animal models and patients, brain imaging, and electrophysiology-based pain biomarkers, the collection of large well-phenotyped population cohorts, neurons derived from patient stem cells, and high-precision CRISPR generated genetic editing. We will discuss how to harness these resources to understand the pathophysiological drivers of NeuP, define its relationship with comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, and explore how to apply these findings to the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of NeuP in the clinic.

Defining the Functional Role of NaV1.7 in Human Nociception.

Loss-of-function mutations in NaV1.7 cause congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP); this voltage-gated sodium channel is therefore a key target for analgesic drug development. Utilizing a multi-modal approach, we investigated how NaV1.7 mutations lead to human pain insensitivity. Skin biopsy and microneurography revealed an absence of C-fiber nociceptors in CIP patients, reflected in a reduced cortical response to capsaicin on fMRI. Epitope tagging of endogenous NaV1.7 revealed the channel to be localized at the soma membrane, axon, axon terminals, and the nodes of Ranvier of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) nociceptors. CIP patient-derived iPSC nociceptors exhibited an inability to properly respond to depolarizing stimuli, demonstrating that NaV1.7 is a key regulator of excitability. Using this iPSC nociceptor platform, we found that some NaV1.7 blockers undergoing clinical trials lack specificity. CIP, therefore, arises due to a profound loss of functional nociceptors, which is more pronounced than that reported in rodent models, or likely achievable following acute pharmacological blockade. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Immune or Genetic-Mediated Disruption of CASPR2 Causes Pain Hypersensitivity Due to Enhanced Primary Afferent Excitability.

Human autoantibodies to contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2) are often associated with neuropathic pain, and CASPR2 mutations have been linked to autism spectrum disorders, in which sensory dysfunction is increasingly recognized. Human CASPR2 autoantibodies, when injected into mice, were peripherally restricted and resulted in mechanical pain-related hypersensitivity in the absence of neural injury. We therefore investigated the mechanism by which CASPR2 modulates nociceptive function. Mice lacking CASPR2 (Cntnap2-/-) demonstrated enhanced pain-related hypersensitivity to noxious mechanical stimuli, heat, and algogens. Both primary afferent excitability and subsequent nociceptive transmission within the dorsal horn were increased in Cntnap2-/- mice. Either immune or genetic-mediated ablation of CASPR2 enhanced the excitability of DRG neurons in a cell-autonomous fashion through regulation of Kv1 channel expression at the soma membrane. This is the first example of passive transfer of an autoimmune peripheral neuropathic pain disorder and demonstrates that CASPR2 has a key role in regulating cell-intrinsic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron excitability.

A simple, step-by-step dissection protocol for the rapid isolation of mouse dorsal root ganglia.

BACKGROUND: The cell bodies of sensory neurons, which transmit information from the external environment to the spinal cord, can be found at all levels of the spinal column in paired structures called dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Rodent DRG neurons have long been studied in the laboratory to improve understanding of sensory nerve development and function, and have been instrumental in determining mechanisms underlying pain and neurodegeneration in disorders of the peripheral nervous system. Here, we describe a simple, step-by-step protocol for the swift isolation of mouse DRG, which can be enzymatically dissociated to produce fully differentiated primary neuronal cultures, or processed for downstream analyses, such as immunohistochemistry or RNA profiling. FINDINGS: After dissecting out the spinal column, from the base of the skull to the level of the femurs, it can be cut down the mid-line and the spinal cord and meninges removed, before extracting the DRG and detaching unwanted axons. This protocol allows the easy and rapid isolation of DRG with minimal practice and dissection experience. The process is both faster and less technically challenging than extracting the ganglia from the in situ column after performing a dorsal laminectomy. CONCLUSIONS: This approach reduces the time required to collect DRG, thereby improving efficiency, permitting less opportunity for tissue deterioration, and, ultimately, increasing the chances of generating healthy primary DRG cultures or high quality, reproducible experiments using DRG tissue.

Neuropilins lock secreted semaphorins onto plexins in a ternary signaling complex.

Co-receptors add complexity to cell-cell signaling systems. The secreted semaphorin 3s (Sema3s) require a co-receptor, neuropilin (Nrp), to signal through plexin As (PlxnAs) in functions ranging from axon guidance to bone homeostasis, but the role of the co-receptor is obscure. Here we present the low-resolution crystal structure of a mouse semaphorin-plexin-Nrp complex alongside unliganded component structures. Dimeric semaphorin, two copies of plexin and two copies of Nrp are arranged as a dimer of heterotrimers. In each heterotrimer subcomplex, semaphorin contacts plexin, similar to in co-receptor-independent signaling complexes. The Nrp1s cross brace the assembly, bridging between sema domains of the Sema3A and PlxnA2 subunits from the two heterotrimers. Biophysical and cellular analyses confirm that this Nrp binding mode stabilizes a canonical, but weakened, Sema3-PlxnA interaction, adding co-receptor control over the mechanism by which receptor dimerization and/or oligomerization triggers signaling.