Deep FLASH-seq profiling of purified canine sensory neurons uncovers species-specific signatures relevant to pain and itch

Using these data, we identify a diverse repertoire of canine sensory neuron clusters that conform to conserved principles of DRG molecular organization observed across species, including peptidergic and non-peptidergic nociceptors, low-threshold mechanoreceptors, proprioceptors, and thermosensory populations. Leveraging the depth of the transcriptomic data, we perform cross-species comparisons with human and mouse DRG datasets, revealing broad conservation of pain- and itch-relevant pathways and therapeutic targets, alongside biologically meaningful divergence.

We further identify species-specific differences in neuronal subtype-restricted expression of the pharmacologically relevant receptors IL31RA and SSTR2, which we validate using in situ hybridization in canine DRG tissue and contextualize using human spatial transcriptomic data. Finally, we provide evidence that genes implicated in canine domestication are non-randomly enriched in specific sensory neuron populations, suggesting that evolutionary history may have shaped aspects of somatosensory function.

Overall, these data represent a resource for comparative sensory neuroscience and inform translational interpretation of pain and itch therapeutics across species.