TAFA4, a Chemokine-like Protein, Modulates Injury-Induced Mechanical and Chemical Pain Hypersensitivity in Mice

Marie-Claire Delfini, Annabelle Mantilleri, Stéphane Gaillard, Jizhe Hao, Ana Reynders, Pascale Malapert, Serge Alonso, Amaury François, Christian Barrere, Rebecca Seal, Marc Landry, Alain Eschallier, Abdelkrim Alloui, Emmanuel Bourinet, Patrick Delmas, Yves Le Feuvre, Aziz Moqrich
Cell Reports. 2013-10-01; 5(2): 378-388
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.09.013

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1. Cell Rep. 2013 Oct 31;5(2):378-88. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.09.013. Epub 2013
Oct 17.

TAFA4, a chemokine-like protein, modulates injury-induced mechanical and chemical
pain hypersensitivity in mice.

Delfini MC(1), Mantilleri A, Gaillard S, Hao J, Reynders A, Malapert P, Alonso S,
François A, Barrere C, Seal R, Landry M, Eschallier A, Alloui A, Bourinet E,
Delmas P, Le Feuvre Y, Moqrich A.

Author information:
(1)Aix-Marseille-Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de
Marseille, UMR 7288, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France.

C-low-threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs) are unique among C-unmyelinated
primary sensory neurons. These neurons convey two opposite aspects of touch
sensation: a sensation of pleasantness, and a sensation of injury-induced
mechanical pain. Here, we show that TAFA4 is a specific marker of C-LTMRs.
Genetic labeling in combination with electrophysiological recordings show that
TAFA4+ neurons have intrinsic properties of mechano-nociceptors. TAFA4-null mice
exhibit enhanced mechanical and chemical hypersensitivity following inflammation
and nerve injury as well as increased excitability of spinal cord lamina IIi
neurons, which could be reversed by intrathecal or bath application of
recombinant TAFA4 protein. In wild-type C57/Bl6 mice, intrathecal administration
of TAFA4 strongly reversed carrageenan-induced mechanical hypersensitivity,
suggesting a potent analgesic role of TAFA4 in pain relief. Our data provide
insights into how C-LTMR-derived TAFA4 modulates neuronal excitability and
controls the threshold of somatic sensation.

Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.09.013
PMID: 24139797 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

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