Figure 3. Normal mechanically-induced primary afferent firing requires epidermal PIEZO1 expression.

Ex vivo tibial nerve recordings of Piezo1cKO and wildtype (wt) mice. (A) Aδ fiber example traces. (B) Mean mechanically induced firing rates of Aδ fibers (n=33 wt and 30 PIEZO1cKO fibers). (C) SA-Aβ fiber example traces. (D) Mean mechanically induced firing rates of SA-β fibers (n=33 wt and 28 PIEZO1cKO fibers). (E) C fiber example traces. (F) Mean mechanically induced firing rates of C fibers (n=30 wt and 34 PIEZO1cKO fibers). For all recordings, the mechanical stimulus was applied to the skin for 10 seconds. All data are mean ± SEM; 2-way ANOVA and Sidak post-hoc comparisons for firing frequency panels: *p<0.05, **p<0.01; fibers from n=17–19 mice.

Figure 3—figure supplement 1. PIEZO1 deletion does not alter sensory fiber mechanical thresholds.

(A) Single unit firing in response to mechanical force ramp (0–100 mN; 10 s). Mechanical thresholds of (B) Aδ fibers, (C) SA-Aβ fibers, and (D) C fibers to ramp stimuli. All data are mean ± SEM; Student’s (two tailed) t test, n.s. Fibers from n=17–19 mice.