Detection of Murine TRPA1 Transcripts in Keratinocytes

Background Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is expressed by nociceptive neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and trigeminal ganglia, but its expression in other cell types is largely unexplored. TRPA1 contributes to chemical, mechanical and cold nociception and expression of TRPA1 in keratinocytes may extend the detection of chemical and physical stimuli from the nerve endings to the surface of the skin. Results Comparison of TRPA1 genes from multiple inbred mouse lines revealed a large number of genetic variations in the TRPA1 locus. These genetic variations may affect annealing of primers to detect TRPA1 transcript when using nucleic acid-based methods. To consistently detect TRPA1 in genetically diverse mouse strains and in different tissue types, an optimized qPCR protocol for TRPA1 detection was created. Conclusions TRPA1 transcripts are consistently detected in murine keratinocytes.