Mechanosensory circuits coordinate two opposing motor actions in feeding.

Mechanoreception detects physical forces in the senses of hearing, touch, and proprioception. Here, we show that labellar mechanoreception wires two motor circuits to facilitate and terminate feeding. Using patch-clamp recordings, we identified mechanosensory neurons (MSNs) in taste pegs of the inner labella and taste bristles of the outer labella, both of which rely on the same mechanoreceptor, NOMPC (no mechanoreceptor potential C), to transduce mechanical deflection.