{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"institution":[{"name":"bioRxiv"}],"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T15:11:56Z","timestamp":1792509116638,"version":"4.5.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,15]]},"group-title":"Neuroscience","reference-count":58,"publisher":"openRxiv","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,15]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>\n                  Krause corpuscles, first discovered in the 1850s, are enigmatic sensory structures with unknown physiological properties and functions found within the genitalia and other mucocutaneous tissues. Here, we identified two distinct somatosensory neuron subtypes that innervate Krause corpuscles of the mouse penis and clitoris and project to a unique sensory terminal region of the spinal cord. Using\n                  <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                  electrophysiology and calcium imaging, we found that both Krause corpuscle afferent types are A-fiber rapid-adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors, optimally tuned to dynamic, light touch and mechanical vibrations (40-80 Hz) applied to the clitoris or penis. Optogenetic activation of male Krause corpuscle afferent terminals evoked penile erection, while genetic ablation of Krause corpuscles impaired intromission and ejaculation of males as well as reduced sexual receptivity of females. Thus, Krause corpuscles, which are particularly dense in the clitoris, are vibrotactile sensors crucial for normal sexual behavior.\n                <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1101\/2023.06.14.545006","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,15]],"date-time":"2023-06-15T15:05:17Z","timestamp":1686841517000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Krause corpuscles of the genitalia are vibrotactile sensors required for normal sexual behavior"],"prefix":"10.64898","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5063-906X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lijun","family":"Qi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9996-4840","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael","family":"Iskols","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6414-8627","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annie","family":"Handler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David D.","family":"Ginty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"54368","reference":[{"key":"2023061915450664000_2023.06.14.545006v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41583-021-00489-x"},{"key":"2023061915450664000_2023.06.14.545006v1.2","unstructured":"W. Krause , Die terminalen K\u00f6rperchen der einfach sensiblen Nerven : Anatomischphysiologische Monographie. (Hanover, 1860)."},{"key":"2023061915450664000_2023.06.14.545006v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02952690","article-title":"Die Nervenendigung innerhalb der terminalen K\u00f6rperchen","volume":"19","year":"1880","journal-title":"Archiv f\u00fcr mikroskopische Anatomie"},{"key":"2023061915450664000_2023.06.14.545006v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1001\/archderm.1957.01550200069015","article-title":"The mucocutaneous end-organ; the primary organized sensory ending in human skin","volume":"76","year":"1957","journal-title":"AMA Arch Derm"},{"key":"2023061915450664000_2023.06.14.545006v1.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Y. Moayedi , L. F. Duenas-Bianchi , E. A. Lumpkin , Somatosensory innervation of the oral mucosa of adult and aging mice. 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