SENSORY NEUROANATOMY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOUSE CLITORIS

Genital sensory receptors play a central role in sexual arousal and essential sensorimotor functions, including reflex responses, blood flow regulation, and lubrication. Despite the exceptionally high density of sensory innervation in the clitoris, the neuroanatomical organisation of genital touch systems remains poorly characterised. To address this gap, we performed a comprehensive anatomical and developmental analysis of the mouse clitoris and directly compared it with human anatomy. Using a combination of slice histology, immunofluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, tissue clearing and three-dimensional light-sheet imaging, we show that the mouse clitoris comprises a well-defined glans, body, and prepuce positioned above the urethra, closely paralleling human clitoral anatomy. Both mouse and human clitorises display dense innervation by multiple sensory neuron subtypes, with Krause corpuscles emerging as the predominant receptors mediating light touch. Notably, we observed that Krause corpuscles typically begin to form only after postnatal day 10 (P10), suggesting that their development occurs postnatally and may be hormonally regulated. Furthermore, the mouse clitoris is highly vascularized and contains both spongiosum- and cavernosum-like tissue, suggesting its capacity for engorgement and erectile function. Together, these findings provide an unexpectedly detailed view of clitoral sensory organisation and development and establish the mouse as a relevant and powerful model for investigating how genital sensorimotor anatomy and physiology are shaped by development, injury, and disease.