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One form of light touch important for tactile discrimination is mediated by Merkel cell neurite complexes, which exhibit a characteristic response to light skin indentation. These cells form synaptic contacts with somatosensory afferents, which suggests that they serve as cutaneous sensory receptors. To test this hypothesis directly, researchers selectively eliminated Merkel cells from mouse skin by deleting the Merkel cell–selective transcription factor Atoh1. Germline ablation of the Atoh1 gene leads to embryo death; however, using sophisticated genetic engineering approaches, the investigators were able to specifically eliminate Atoh1 from the skin.
Examination of the Atoh1-null skin showed loss of keratin 8, an intermediate filament prot…