Beyond being innervated: the epidermis actively shapes sensory dendritic patterning

Sensing environmental cues requires well-built neuronal circuits linked to the body surface. Sensory neurons generate dendrites to innervate surface epithelium, thereby making it the largest sensory organ in the body. Previous studies have illustrated that neuronal type, physiological function and branching patterns are determined by intrinsic factors. Perhaps for effective sensation or protection, sensory dendrites bind to or are surrounded by...