“Network map” of pain genes identified
A group of scientists around Greg Neely from the Institute of Medical Research in Sydney and Josef Penninger from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) identified 580 genes involved in heat perception in the fruit fly. 400 equivalent genes were found in the human genome, 35% of which are expected to be involved in pain perception. These findings indicate that there is an exceptional conservation of these molecular mechanisms across species.
The results are published online in the international journal PLOS Genetics.
Original title: "Construction of a Global Pain Systems Network Highlights Phospholipid Signaling as a Regulator of Heat Nociception"