bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.20.427483; this version posted January 21, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Piezo2 mechanosensitive ion channel is located to sensory neurons and non-neuronal cells in rat peripheral sensory pathway: implications in pain Seung Min Shin1, Francie Moehring2, Brandon Itson-Zoske1, Fan Fan3, Cheryl L. Stucky2, Quinn H. Hogan1, 4, and Hongwei Yu1, 4* 1. Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 2. Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 3. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Mississippi University Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216 4. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53295 * Correspondence author:
[email protected], phone: 414-955-5745 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.20.427483; this version posted January 21, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Abstract Piezo2 mechanotransduction channel is a crucial mediator of sensory neurons for sensing and transducing touch, vibration, and proprioception. We here characterized Piezo2 expression and cell specificity in rat peripheral sensory pathway using a validated Piezo2 antibody. Immunohistochemistry using this antibody revealed Piezo2 expression in pan primary sensory neurons (PSNs) of dorsal rood ganglia (DRG) in naïve rats, which was actively transported along afferent axons to both central presynaptic terminals innervating the spinal dorsal horn (DH) and peripheral afferent terminals in skin.