Skip to main content
Log in

Identification of a cold sensor in peripheral somatosensory neurons

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

From Nature Neuroscience

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Cold sensor identities in peripheral somatosensory neurons remain obscure. We show that GluK2, a kainate-type glutamate-sensing chemoreceptor that mediates synaptic transmission in the brain, mediates the sensing of cold but not cool temperatures in mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons in the periphery. Thus, we identify GluK2 as a cold-sensing thermoreceptor.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1: GluK2 is important for sensing cold, but not cool, temperatures.

References

  1. Xiao, R. & Xu, X. Z. S. Temperature sensation: from molecular thermosensors to neural circuits and coding principles. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 83, 205–230 (2021). This review presents an overview of thermosensation.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bautista, D. M. et al. The menthol receptor TRPM8 is the principal detector of environmental cold. Nature 448, 204–208 (2007). This paper shows that TRPM8 is required for cool sensing, but not cold sensing, in mice.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Dhaka, A. et al. TRPM8 is required for cold sensation in mice. Neuron 54, 371–378 (2007). This paper shows that TRPM8 is required for cool sensing, but not cold sensing, in mice.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Gong, J. et al. A cold-sensing receptor encoded by a glutamate receptor gene. Cell 178, 1375–1386.e11 (2019). This paper reports the identification of C. elegans GLR-3 as a cold sensor.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Valbuena, S. & Lerma, J. Non-canonical signaling, the hidden life of ligand-gated ion channels. Neuron 92, 316–329 (2016). This review presents an overview of ligand-gated ion channels (such as kainate receptors) that possess non-channel functions.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Cai, W. et al. The kainate receptor GluK2 mediates cold sensing in mice. Nat. Neurosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01585-8 (2024).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Identification of a cold sensor in peripheral somatosensory neurons. Nat Neurosci 27, 613–614 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01606-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01606-6

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

Navigation