Nature Physics, Published online: 03 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03053-x
In two types of roundworm neurons that can sense mechanical stimuli, the tension in the plasma membrane propagates rapidly, but it is spatially confined by periodic barriers formed by cytoskeletal and membrane proteins. This spatial restriction enables localized mechanical signalling, enhancing a neuron’s capacity to process multiple stimuli independently.
