Stretching the imagination beyond muscle spindles - stretch-sensitive mechanisms in arthropods

Much attention has been given to mammalian muscle spindles and their role in stretch-mediated muscle proprioception. Recent studies, particularly, have sought to determine the molecular mediators of stretch-evoked mechanotransduction, which these endings rely upon for functionality. Nonetheless, much about these endings remains unknown. Opportunities may be presented from consideration of extensive parallel research in stretch receptor mechanisms in arthropods. Such systems may provide a useful source of additional data and powerful tools for dissecting the complex systems of stretch transduction apparatus. At the least, such systems provide tractable exemplars of how organisms solve the problem of converting stretch stimuli to electrical output. Potentially, they may even provide molecular mechanisms and candidate molecular mediators of direct relevance to mammalian muscle spindles. Here we provide a brief overview of research on arthropod stretch receptors.