A mechanical time window for correct proprioceptor development

Downregulating Pericardin (Prc) in the fly chordotonal organ during late embryogenesis most severely impairs conversion of muscle deformations into compressive strain in the ChO cap cell.

• Why it matters: Mechanical forces are essential for mechanosensory function, but their timing role in proprioceptor development is largely unknown.
• What they did: Using in vivo downregulation of Prc at different embryonic and larval time points, the authors measured how efficiently muscle-generated deformations are converted into compressive strain in the ChO cap cell.
• The result: The strongest deficit occurs when Prc is reduced during late embryogenesis, coinciding with embryonic muscle contraction onset, and lowering muscle-generated forces then produces a similar impaired ChO mechanics and sensory function phenotype.