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closeReferee Comments: Referee 2
Posted by PLOS_ONE_Group on 15 Jun 2007 at 16:19 GMT
Reviewer 2's Review
“This paper reports the discovery and characterization of an important reagent—namely a peptide toxin that specifically blocks sustained mechanically-gated currents in mammalian DRG neurons. It will be of interest to physiologists studying somatosensation as well as to researchers interested in selective pharmacological tools for interrogating the contribution of mechanical nociception to pain sensation and somatosensory function. The peptide, which the authors are calling NMB-1, blocks mechanically-gated currents with an apparent affinity of 1µM and may also block mechanotransduction channels in vertebrate hair cells. NMB-1 appears to act specifically on sustained mechanically-gated currents in DRG neurons and the authors claim that it has no effect on voltage-gated channels, TRPV1 channels, or ASIC1 channels.”
N.B. These are the general comments made by the reviewer when reviewing this paper in light of which the manuscript was revised. Specific points addressed during revision of the paper are not shown.