1
|
Moribayashi T, Nakao Y, Ohtubo Y. Characteristics of A-type voltage-gated K + currents expressed on sour-sensing type III taste receptor cells in mice. Cell Tissue Res 2024; 396:353-369. [PMID: 38492001 PMCID: PMC11144136 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-024-03887-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Sour taste is detected by type III taste receptor cells that generate membrane depolarization with action potentials in response to HCl applied to the apical membranes. The shape of action potentials in type III cells exhibits larger afterhyperpolarization due to activation of transient A-type voltage-gated K+ currents. Although action potentials play an important role in neurotransmitter release, the electrophysiological features of A-type K+ currents in taste buds remain unclear. Here, we examined the electrophysiological properties of A-type K+ currents in mouse fungiform taste bud cells using in-situ whole-cell patch clamping. Type III cells were identified with SNAP-25 immunoreactivity and/or electrophysiological features of voltage-gated currents. Type III cells expressed A-type K+ currents which were completely inhibited by 10 mM TEA, whereas IP3R3-immunoreactive type II cells did not. The half-maximal activation and steady-state inactivation of A-type K+ currents were 17.9 ± 4.5 (n = 17) and - 11.0 ± 5.7 (n = 17) mV, respectively, which are similar to the features of Kv3.3 and Kv3.4 channels (transient and high voltage-activated K+ channels). The recovery from inactivation was well fitted with a double exponential equation; the fast and slow time constants were 6.4 ± 0.6 ms and 0.76 ± 0.26 s (n = 6), respectively. RT-PCR experiments suggest that Kv3.3 and Kv3.4 mRNAs were detected at the taste bud level, but not at single-cell levels. As the phosphorylation of Kv3.3 and Kv3.4 channels generally leads to the modulation of cell excitability, neuromodulator-mediated A-type K+ channel phosphorylation likely affects the signal transduction of taste.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takeru Moribayashi
- Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Hibikino 2-4, Kitakyushu, 808-0196, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Nakao
- Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Hibikino 2-4, Kitakyushu, 808-0196, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Ohtubo
- Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Hibikino 2-4, Kitakyushu, 808-0196, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ma Z, Paudel U, Foskett JK. Effects of temperature on action potentials and ion conductances in type II taste-bud cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 325:C155-C171. [PMID: 37273235 PMCID: PMC10312327 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00413.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Temperature strongly influences the intensity of taste, but it remains understudied despite its physiological, hedonic, and commercial implications. The relative roles of the peripheral gustatory and somatosensory systems innervating the oral cavity in mediating thermal effects on taste sensation and perception are poorly understood. Type II taste-bud cells, responsible for sensing sweet, bitter umami, and appetitive NaCl, release neurotransmitters to gustatory neurons by the generation of action potentials, but the effects of temperature on action potentials and the underlying voltage-gated conductances are unknown. Here, we used patch-clamp electrophysiology to explore the effects of temperature on acutely isolated type II taste-bud cell electrical excitability and whole cell conductances. Our data reveal that temperature strongly affects action potential generation, properties, and frequency and suggest that thermal sensitivities of underlying voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channel conductances provide a mechanism for how and whether voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels in the peripheral gustatory system contribute to the influence of temperature on taste sensitivity and perception.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The temperature of food affects how it tastes. Nevertheless, the mechanisms involved are not well understood, particularly whether the physiology of taste-bud cells in the mouth is involved. Here we show that the electrical activity of type II taste-bud cells that sense sweet, bitter, and umami substances is strongly influenced by temperature. These results suggest a mechanism for the influence of temperature on the intensity of taste perception that resides in taste buds themselves.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongming Ma
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Usha Paudel
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - J Kevin Foskett
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bigiani A, Tirindelli R, Bigiani L, Mapelli J. Changes of the biophysical properties of voltage-gated Na + currents during maturation of the sodium-taste cells in rat fungiform papillae. J Physiol 2022; 600:5119-5144. [PMID: 36250254 DOI: 10.1113/jp283636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Taste cells are a heterogeneous population of sensory receptors that undergo continuous turnover. Different chemo-sensitive cell lines rely on action potentials to release the neurotransmitter onto nerve endings. The electrical excitability is due to the presence of a tetrodotoxin-sensitive, voltage-gated sodium current (INa ) similar to that found in neurons. Since the biophysical properties of neuronal INa change during development, we wondered whether the same also occurred in taste cells. Here, we used the patch-clamp recording technique to study INa in salt-sensing cells (sodium cells) of rat fungiform papillae. We identified these cells by exploiting the known blocking effect of amiloride on ENaC, the sodium (salt) receptor. Based on the amplitude of INa , which is known to increase during development, we subdivided sodium cells into two groups: cells with small sodium current (SSC cells; INa < 1 nA) and cells with large sodium current (LSC cells; INa > 1 nA). We found that: the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation significantly differed between these subsets; a slowly inactivating sodium current was more prominent in LSC cells; membrane capacitance in SSC cells was larger than in LSC cells. mRNA expression analysis of the α-subunits of voltage-gated sodium channels in fungiform taste buds supported the functional data. Lucifer Yellow labelling of recorded cells revealed that our electrophysiological criterion for distinguishing two broad groups of taste cells was in good agreement with morphological observations for cell maturity. Thus, all these findings are consistent with developmental changes in the voltage-dependent properties of sodium-taste cells. KEY POINTS: Taste cells are sensory receptors that undergo continuous turnover while they detect food chemicals and communicate with afferent nerve fibres. The voltage-gated sodium current (INa ) is a key ion current for generating action potentials in fully differentiated and chemo-sensitive taste cells, which use electrical signalling to release neurotransmitters. Here we show that, during the maturation of rat taste cells involved in salt detection (sodium cells), the biophysical properties of INa , such as voltage dependence of activation and inactivation, change significantly. Our results help reveal how taste cells gain electrical excitability during turnover, a property critical to their operation as chemical detectors that relay sensory information to nerve fibres.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Albertino Bigiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Roberto Tirindelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, SMart Laboratory, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Jonathan Mapelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nakao Y, Tateno K, Ohtubo Y. Taste Receptor Cells Generate Oscillating Receptor Potentials by Activating G Protein-Coupled Taste Receptors. Front Physiol 2022; 13:883372. [PMID: 35694396 PMCID: PMC9174655 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.883372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The receptor potentials of taste receptor cells remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that taste receptor cells generate oscillating depolarization (n = 7) with action potentials in response to sweet, bitter, umami, and salty taste substances. At a lower concentration of taste substances, taste receptor cells exhibited oscillations in membrane potentials with a low frequency and small magnitude of depolarization. Although the respective waves contained no or 1–2 action potentials, the taste receptor cells generated action potentials continuously in the presence of taste stimuli. Both the frequency and magnitude of oscillations increased when the concentration was increased, to 0.67–1.43 Hz (n = 3) and Δ39–53 mV (n = 3) in magnitude from −64.7 ± 4.2 to −18.7 ± 5.9 mV, which may activate the ATP-permeable ion channels. In contrast, a sour tastant (10-mM HCl) induced membrane depolarization (Δ19.4 ± 9.5 mV, n = 4) with action potentials in type III taste receptor cells. Interestingly, NaCl (1 M) taste stimuli induced oscillation (n = 2) or depolarization (Δ10.5 ± 5.7 mV at the tonic component, n = 9). Our results indicate that the frequency and magnitude of oscillations increased with increasing taste substance concentrations. These parameters may contribute to the expression of taste “thickness.”
Collapse
|
5
|
Feher A, Pócsi M, Papp F, Szanto TG, Csoti A, Fejes Z, Nagy B, Nemes B, Varga Z. Functional Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels Are Present in the Human B Cell Membrane. Cells 2022; 11:1225. [PMID: 35406789 PMCID: PMC8998058 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
B cells express various ion channels, but the presence of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels has not been confirmed in the plasma membrane yet. In this study, we have identified several NaV channels, which are expressed in the human B cell membrane, by electrophysiological and molecular biology methods. The sensitivity of the detected sodium current to tetrodotoxin was between the values published for TTX-sensitive and TTX-insensitive channels, which suggests the co-existence of multiple NaV1 subtypes in the B cell membrane. This was confirmed by RT-qPCR results, which showed high expression of TTX-sensitive channels along with the lower expression of TTX-insensitive NaV1 channels. The biophysical characteristics of the currents also supported the expression of multiple NaV channels. In addition, we investigated the potential functional role of NaV channels by membrane potential measurements. Removal of Na+ from the extracellular solution caused a reversible hyperpolarization, supporting the role of NaV channels in shaping and maintaining the resting membrane potential. As this study was mainly limited to electrophysiological properties, we cannot exclude the possible non-canonical functions of these channels. This work concludes that the presence of voltage-gated sodium channels in the plasma membrane of human B cells should be recognized and accounted for in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Feher
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (A.F.); (F.P.); (T.G.S.); (A.C.)
| | - Marianna Pócsi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (M.P.); (Z.F.); (B.N.J.)
| | - Ferenc Papp
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (A.F.); (F.P.); (T.G.S.); (A.C.)
| | - Tibor G. Szanto
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (A.F.); (F.P.); (T.G.S.); (A.C.)
| | - Agota Csoti
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (A.F.); (F.P.); (T.G.S.); (A.C.)
| | - Zsolt Fejes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (M.P.); (Z.F.); (B.N.J.)
| | - Béla Nagy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (M.P.); (Z.F.); (B.N.J.)
| | - Balázs Nemes
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Surgery, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Zoltan Varga
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (A.F.); (F.P.); (T.G.S.); (A.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lingle CJ. Slow recovery from fast inactivation of Nav1.3 channels: a common gating mechanism shared in sweet- and sour-sensing cells. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:855-857. [PMID: 33970334 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02575-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Lingle
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| |
Collapse
|