175 MrgprD-expressing peripheral sensory neurons may directly suppress mast cell function

Abstract

Cutaneous mast cells (MC) and sensory afferent neurons are well known to have close anatomical and functional associations. Pain-sensing peptidergic neurons that express TRPV1 can induce mast cell degranulation through release of the neuropeptide Substance P that interacts with the receptor MrgprB2 on MC. We have found that a MrgprD-expressing subset of nonpeptidergic neurons suppresses the expression of MrgprB2 on MC (see Zhang et al. abstract). Ablation of MrgprD-expressing neurons results in functionally increased MrgprB2 expression on MC while MrgprD-agonism functionally suppresses MrgprB2 expression.