Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
Trends Neurosci. 2012 Jun;35(6):373-81. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2012.03.006. Epub 2012 Apr 18.
Sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) respond to many different kinds of stimulus. The ability to discriminate between the diverse types of sensation is reflected by the existence of functionally and morphologically specialized sensory neurons. This neuronal diversity is created in a step-wise process extending well into postnatal life. Here, we review the hierarchical organization and the molecular process involving interactions between environmental growth factors, used and reused in different developmental contexts in self-reinforcing and cross-inhibitory mechanisms, and intrinsic gene programs that underlie the progressive diversification of sensory progenitors into specialized neurons. The recent advance in knowledge of sensory neuron specification may provide mechanistic principles that could extend to other parts of the nervous system.
背根神经节（DRG）的感觉神经元对许多不同类型的刺激做出反应。感觉神经元的功能和形态专门化的存在反映了它们能够区分不同类型的感觉。这种神经元多样性是通过一个逐步的过程产生的，这个过程一直延伸到出生后。在这里，我们回顾了涉及环境生长因子之间相互作用的分层组织和分子过程，这些生长因子在自我强化和交叉抑制机制以及内在基因程序中被重复使用，这些机制是感觉前体细胞逐渐分化为专门神经元的基础。最近在感觉神经元特化方面的知识进展可能为其他神经系统部分提供机制原则。
