An integrative approach to the facile functional classification of dorsal root ganglion neuronal subclasses
Mario J. Giacobassi, Lee S. Leavitt, Shrinivasan Raghuraman, Rishi K. Alluri, Kevin Chase, Rocio K. Finol‐Urdaneta, Heinrich Terlau, Russell W. Teichert, Baldomero M. Olivera
Abstract
Significance We have used the cellular response to a conopeptide, a highly selective K-channel blocker κM-RIIIJ, as the initial step in an integrated molecular-, cellular-, and systems-level functional analysis to describe and characterize six discrete subclasses of large-diameter mouse dorsal-root ganglion neurons. Analysis of two of these classes (proprioceptors and Aδ–low-threshold mechanoreceptors) by current-clamp electrophysiology and single-cell transcriptome analysis revealed functional differences between the subclasses based on specific molecular components. This integrated strategy is a potentially powerful tool for investigating individual neuronal cell types in functional context. This study also establishes a general approach for defining which specific ion-channel heteromeric combinations are present in different individual neuronal subtypes.