Krause corpuscles, which were discovered in the 1850s, are specialized sensory structures found within the genitalia and other mucocutaneous tissues^1,2,3,4. The physiological properties and functions of Krause corpuscles have remained unclear since their discovery. Here we report the anatomical and physiological properties of Krause corpuscles of the mouse clitoris and penis and their roles in sexual behaviour. We observed a high density of Krause corpuscles in the clitoris compared with the penis. Using mouse genetic tools, we identified two distinct somatosensory neuron subtypes that innervate Krause corpuscles of both the clitoris and penis and project to a unique sensory terminal region of the spinal cord. In vivo electrophysiology and calcium imaging experiments showed that both Krause corpuscle afferent types are A-fibre rapid-adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors, optimally tuned to dynamic, light-touch and mechanical vibrations (40–80 Hz) applied to the clitoris or penis. Functionally, selective optogenetic activation of Krause corpuscle afferent terminals evoked penile erection in male mice and vaginal contraction in female mice, while genetic ablation of Krause corpuscles impaired intromission and ejaculation of males and reduced sexual receptivity of females. Thus, Krause corpuscles of the clitoris and penis are highly sensitive mechanical vibration detectors that mediate sexually dimorphic mating behaviours.

克劳斯小体于 1850 年代被发现，是在生殖器和其他粘膜皮肤组织内发现的特殊感觉结构 ^1,2,3,4 。自克劳斯小体被发现以来，其生理特性和功能仍不清楚。在这里，我们报告了小鼠阴蒂和阴茎克劳斯小体的解剖学和生理学特性及其在性行为中的作用。我们观察到，与阴茎相比，阴蒂的克劳斯小体密度较高。使用小鼠遗传工具，我们确定了两种不同的体感神经元亚型，它们支配阴蒂和阴茎的克劳斯小体，并投射到脊髓的独特感觉末端区域。体内电生理学和钙成像实验表明，两种克劳斯小体传入类型都是 A 纤维快速适应低阈值机械感受器，最适合应用于阴蒂或阴茎的动态、轻触和机械振动 (40-80 Hz)。从功能上讲，克劳斯小体传入末梢的选择性光遗传学激活会引起雄性小鼠的阴茎勃起和雌性小鼠的阴道收缩，而克劳斯小体的基因消融会损害雄性的插入和射精，并降低雌性小鼠的性接受能力。因此，阴蒂和阴茎的克劳斯小体是高度敏感的机械振动探测器，可以介导两性异形的交配行为。