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Summary: The ability of living organisms to perceive mechanical
forces is crucial for interacting with the physical world.
Mechanotransduction, the conversion of a mechanical
stimulus into a biological response, constitutes the basis
of fundamental physiological processes, such as the
senses of touch, balance, proprioception and hearing,
and makes a vital contribution to homeostasis.
Mechanotransduction occurs ubiquitously in eubac-
teria, archaea and eukarya, suggesting an early emer-
gence of mechanotransducers during evolution. The first
mechanosensitive channel in bacteria and archaea arose
as a mechanism for cell protection and survival1
, and
subsequently evolved into a more complex apparatus as
part of organismal specialization25
.
In mammals, detection of mechanical forces by the
somatosensory system is performed by primary affer-
ent neurons. Their cell bodies are located in trigeminal
ganglia and dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and they project
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