Body awareness, or proprioception, helps us navigate space and relate to the world around, just like vision or hearing or touch. It’s a sort of sixth sense that works in conjunction with the rest—and ...

With the help of two young patients with a unique neurological disorder, scientists have discovered that a gene called PIEZO2 controls specific aspects of human touch and proprioception, a "sixth ...

Researchers at the NIH report that the PIEZO2 gene controls specific aspects of human touch and proprioception, a “sixth sense” describing awareness of one's body in space. Mutations in the gene ...

Every time we feel a gentle tap on the skin, specialized nerve cells convert that physical force into an electrical signal the brain can interpret as touch. While scientists have long known that a ...

The Piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 2, or PIEZO2, is a protein coding gene that has been linked to mechanically-activated (MA) cation channels, which connect mechanical forces to ...

"FM 1-43 robustly labeled PIEZO2 channels in vivo in cultured cells, and in a wide range of species including mice, bats, and moles, highlighting the ease and versatility of this technique," Dr.

PIEZO2 (cyan), filamin-B (magenta), and the neuronal marker neurofilament heavy chain (green) in touch-sensing nerve endings around a hair follicle. LA JOLLA, CA—Every time we feel a gentle tap on the ...