c-Maf-positive spinal cord neurons are critical elements of a dorsal horn circuit for mechanical hypersensitivity in neuropathy

Frezel, Noémie; Ranucci, Matteo; Foster, Edmund; Wende, Hagen; Pelczar, Pawel; Mendes, Raquel; Ganley, Robert P; Werynska, Karolina; d'Aquin, Simon; Beccarini, Camilla; Birchmeier, Carmen; Zeilhofer, Hanns Ulrich; Wildner, Hendrik

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112295

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Frezel, N., Ranucci, M., Foster, E., Wende, H., Pelczar, P., Mendes, R., Ganley, R. P., Werynska, K., d’Aquin, S., Beccarini, C., Birchmeier, C., Zeilhofer, H. U., & Wildner, H. (2023). c-Maf-positive spinal cord neurons are critical elements of a dorsal horn circuit for mechanical hypersensitivity in neuropathy. Cell Reports, 42(4), 112295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112295

Abstract

Corticospinal tract (CST) neurons innervate the deep spinal dorsal horn to sustain chronic neuropathic pain. The majority of neurons targeted by the CST are interneurons expressing the transcription factor c-Maf. Here, we used intersectional genetics to decipher the function of these neurons in dorsal horn sensory circuits. We find that excitatory c-Maf (c-Maf$^{EX}$