University of Michigan researchers have pinpointed the protein responsible for mammals sensing cold, a significant advancement in sensory biology. Published in Nature Neuroscience, their findings may elucidate how humans perceive and respond to cold temperatures and why certain medical conditions alter cold sensitivity. Neuroscientist Shawn Xu, a senior author, highlights the long-standing mystery surrounding cold temperature sensing despite discoveries in heat and warmth receptors. Previous research identified a cold-sensing protein in Caenorhabditis elegans, leading to the verification of GluK2 as the cold sensor in mammals through experiments on mice lacking the GluK2 gene. GluK2, primarily found in the brain, also functions in the peripheral nervous system to process temperature cues, offering insights into ancient sensory mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for conditions like chemotherapy-induced cold sensitivity.
Protein Impacts Feeling Cold
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