Merkel Cells
Merkel Cells - Related Videos
13:45
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Infection and Detection
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Cited by 28 •
2019
Here, we present a protocol to infect primary human dermal fibroblast with MCPyV. The protocol includes isolation of dermal fibroblasts, preparation of MCPyV virions, virus infection, immunofluorescence staining, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. This protocol can be extended for characterizing MCPyV-host interactions and discovering other cell types infectable by MCPyV.
05:53
Recombinant Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCPyV) Virion Preparation: A Technique to Produce High-titer Recombinant MCPyV Virion
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2023
In this video, we show the preparation of Merkel cell polyomavirus or MCPyV virions using 273TT cells. This technology helps to produce high-titer of the recombinant MCPyV virions.
08:49
Models of Bone Metastasis
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Cited by 115 •
2012
Animal models are frequently utilized to study cancer metastasis to bone. In this protocol we will describe two common methods of tumor inoculation for bone metastasis studies and briefly describe some of the analyses utilized to monitor and quantify these models.
06:00
HCR-DNA FISH: A Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Technique to Detect Viral DNA in Infected Cells
0 Views •
2023
In this video, the cells infected with MCPyV virions were subjected to in situ hybridization chain reaction to detect MCPyV specific genomes. Further, the DNA-HCR technique was combined with FISH to visualize the MCPyV DNA in infected human skin cells.
10:04
Tractable In Vivo Reprogramming of Tumor Cells to Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cell-like Cells
0 Views •
2025
This protocol describes the in vivo reprogramming of mouse cancer cells into type 1 dendritic-like cells within the tumor microenvironment through enforced expression of the transcription factors PU.1, IRF8, and BATF3.
FAQs
Pressure or skin deformation changes the physical state of the Merkel cell-neurite complex. Mechanosensitive ion channels, including Piezo2, respond to this deformation by producing electrical signals. These signals provide a cellular link between a mechanical event at the epidermis and activity in sensory pathways, helping explain how touch information begins at the skin surface.
The complex places a specialized epithelial cell in close association with a sensory nerve ending, allowing mechanical information from the skin to influence neuronal activity. This arrangement illustrates how sensory epithelia communicate with nerves rather than functioning as isolated receptor cells. Its organization is therefore central to understanding how tactile stimuli become signals carried through afferent neurons.
Piezo2 is one of the mechanosensitive ion channels associated with the response of Merkel cell systems to physical deformation. When mechanical force affects the skin, channel activity helps generate the signals that enter sensory pathways. Studying this channel provides a mechanism for connecting the physical properties of touch with the electrical communication used by the nervous system.
Their contribution is especially relevant when touch is maintained rather than momentary. Mechanical stimulation of the Merkel cell-neurite complex can produce signals that are transmitted through afferent neurons, giving the nervous system information about continued pressure on the skin. This makes Merkel cell biology useful for examining how tactile signals represent the duration or persistence of contact.
Research on Merkel cells can be used to examine how sensory epithelial structures arise and how they participate in skin biology during repair. Because these cells interact with sensory nerve endings, their study connects epidermal organization with neural communication. This perspective helps investigators consider both tissue restoration and the maintenance of touch-related functions in skin.
Changes affecting Merkel cells, their associated nerve endings, or mechanosensitive signaling could alter how the skin detects touch and pressure. Investigating these components helps researchers relate cellular mechanisms to abnormal tactile sensation. The broader value lies in tracing a disorder from specialized epidermal biology through neuronal signaling, rather than treating touch perception as a function of nerves alone.
Merkel cells are also relevant to research on Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer. Studying their normal biology provides context for examining how specialized epidermal cells relate to disease. This connection places Merkel cells at the intersection of sensory biology and cancer research, while also emphasizing that their clinical importance extends beyond touch perception.