Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord

Abstract Cerebrospinal Fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) are GABAergic bipolar neurons found, in contact with the cerebrospinal fluid, along the vertebrate medullo-spinal central canal. They express Polycystin Kidney Disease 2-Like 1 channels (PKD2L1), members of the Transient Receptor Potential su...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elysa Crozat, Edith Blasco, Jorge Ramirez-Franco, Priscille Riondel, Nina Jurčić, Riad Seddik, Caroline Michelle, Jérôme Trouslard, Nicolas Wanaverbecq
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08559-x
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849339579519205376
author Elysa Crozat
Edith Blasco
Jorge Ramirez-Franco
Priscille Riondel
Nina Jurčić
Riad Seddik
Caroline Michelle
Jérôme Trouslard
Nicolas Wanaverbecq
author_facet Elysa Crozat
Edith Blasco
Jorge Ramirez-Franco
Priscille Riondel
Nina Jurčić
Riad Seddik
Caroline Michelle
Jérôme Trouslard
Nicolas Wanaverbecq
author_sort Elysa Crozat
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cerebrospinal Fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) are GABAergic bipolar neurons found, in contact with the cerebrospinal fluid, along the vertebrate medullo-spinal central canal. They express Polycystin Kidney Disease 2-Like 1 channels (PKD2L1), members of the Transient Receptor Potential superfamily, and were shown to modulate motor activity and therefore suggested to act as a novel sensory system. However, in mice, they remain largely uncharacterized and it is crucial to comprehensively characterize their morphological and electrophysiological properties to determine whether they form a homogenous neuronal population and understand their role in the CNS. We show that CSF-cNs are distributed throughout the spinal cord with a uniform morphology and a primarily ventral localization. They exhibit region-specific properties, expression of voltage-dependent and ligand-gated conductances and detect variation in extracellular pH through activation of PKD2L1 and Acid-sensing Ion Channels. They possess GABAB and muscarinic receptors, not glutamatergic metabotropic ones, to modulate Ca2+ channels. CSF-cNs represent unique sensory neurons with a uniform morphology and electrophysiological properties that appear specific to the spinal cord segment inserted in. The future challenges in the field, will be to elucidate the physiological stimuli activating CSF-cNs and the neuronal network they are integrated in to modulate body function through specific local spinal network.
format Article
id doaj-art-97a386aa69cb44be8384eb2f487cc291
institution Kabale University
issn 2399-3642
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Communications Biology
spelling doaj-art-97a386aa69cb44be8384eb2f487cc2912025-08-20T03:44:06ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-08-018112410.1038/s42003-025-08559-xCerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cordElysa Crozat0Edith Blasco1Jorge Ramirez-Franco2Priscille Riondel3Nina Jurčić4Riad Seddik5Caroline Michelle6Jérôme Trouslard7Nicolas Wanaverbecq8Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSInstitut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRSAbstract Cerebrospinal Fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) are GABAergic bipolar neurons found, in contact with the cerebrospinal fluid, along the vertebrate medullo-spinal central canal. They express Polycystin Kidney Disease 2-Like 1 channels (PKD2L1), members of the Transient Receptor Potential superfamily, and were shown to modulate motor activity and therefore suggested to act as a novel sensory system. However, in mice, they remain largely uncharacterized and it is crucial to comprehensively characterize their morphological and electrophysiological properties to determine whether they form a homogenous neuronal population and understand their role in the CNS. We show that CSF-cNs are distributed throughout the spinal cord with a uniform morphology and a primarily ventral localization. They exhibit region-specific properties, expression of voltage-dependent and ligand-gated conductances and detect variation in extracellular pH through activation of PKD2L1 and Acid-sensing Ion Channels. They possess GABAB and muscarinic receptors, not glutamatergic metabotropic ones, to modulate Ca2+ channels. CSF-cNs represent unique sensory neurons with a uniform morphology and electrophysiological properties that appear specific to the spinal cord segment inserted in. The future challenges in the field, will be to elucidate the physiological stimuli activating CSF-cNs and the neuronal network they are integrated in to modulate body function through specific local spinal network.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08559-x
spellingShingle Elysa Crozat
Edith Blasco
Jorge Ramirez-Franco
Priscille Riondel
Nina Jurčić
Riad Seddik
Caroline Michelle
Jérôme Trouslard
Nicolas Wanaverbecq
Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord
Communications Biology
title Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord
title_full Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord
title_fullStr Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord
title_full_unstemmed Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord
title_short Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region-specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord
title_sort cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons are sensory neurons with uniform morphological and region specific electrophysiological properties in the mouse spinal cord
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08559-x
work_keys_str_mv AT elysacrozat cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT edithblasco cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT jorgeramirezfranco cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT priscilleriondel cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT ninajurcic cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT riadseddik cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT carolinemichelle cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT jerometrouslard cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord
AT nicolaswanaverbecq cerebrospinalfluidcontactingneuronsaresensoryneuronswithuniformmorphologicalandregionspecificelectrophysiologicalpropertiesinthemousespinalcord