Summary: THE ANATOMICAL RECORD 294:764­773 (2011)
Collagenous Skeleton of the Rat
Mystacial Pad
SEBASTIAN HAIDARLIU,1* EREZ SIMONY,1
DAVID GOLOMB,2
AND EHUD AHISSAR1
1
Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
2
Department of Physiology and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience,
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
ABSTRACT
Anatomical and functional integrity of the rat mystacial pad (MP) is
dependent on the intrinsic organization of its extracellular matrix. By
using collagen autofluorescence, in the rat MP, we revealed a collagenous
skeleton that interconnects whisker follicles, corium, and deep collagen
layers. We suggest that this skeleton supports MP tissues, mediates force
transmission from muscles to whiskers, facilitates whisker retraction af-
ter protraction, and limits MP extensibility. Anat Rec, 294:764­773,
2011. VVC 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Source: Ahissar, Ehud - Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science

Collections: Biology and Medicine