MicroRNA-183 cluster continuously scales mechanical pain sensitivity by regulating basal and neuropathic pain gene pathways.. Mus musculus

Nociception is protective and prevents tissue damage but can also facilitate chronic pain. If a general principle governs these two types of pain is unknown. Here, we show that both basal mechanical and neuropathic pain are controlled by microRNA-183 cluster in mice. This single cluster controls more than 80% of neuropathic pain-regulated genes and scales basal mechanical sensitivity and mechanical allodynia by regulating auxiliary voltage-gated calcium channel subunits a2d. Basal sensitivity is controlled in nociceptors and allodynia involves TrkB+ light-touch mechanoreceptors. These light-touch sensitive neurons that normally do not elicit pain produce pain during neuropathy that is reversed by gabapentin. Thus, a single miRNA cluster continuously scales acute noxious mechanical sensitivity in nociceptive neurons and suppresses neuropathic pain transduction in a specific, light-touch sensitive neuronal type recruited during mechanical allodynia. Overall design: Bulk DRG RNA sequencing of control and tissue-specific knock-out animals, naive and after nerve injury