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Khan MS, Spann RA, Münzberg H, Yu S, Albaugh VL, He Y, Berthoud HR, Morrison CD. Protein Appetite at the Interface between Nutrient Sensing and Physiological Homeostasis. Nutrients 2021; 13:4103. [PMID: 34836357 PMCID: PMC8620426 DOI: 10.3390/nu13114103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Feeding behavior is guided by multiple competing physiological needs, as animals must sense their internal nutritional state and then identify and consume foods that meet nutritional needs. Dietary protein intake is necessary to provide essential amino acids and represents a specific, distinct nutritional need. Consistent with this importance, there is a relatively strong body of literature indicating that protein intake is defended, such that animals sense the restriction of protein and adaptively alter feeding behavior to increase protein intake. Here, we argue that this matching of food consumption with physiological need requires at least two concurrent mechanisms: the first being the detection of internal nutritional need (a protein need state) and the second being the discrimination between foods with differing nutritional compositions. In this review, we outline various mechanisms that could mediate the sensing of need state and the discrimination between protein-rich and protein-poor foods. Finally, we briefly describe how the interaction of these mechanisms might allow an animal to self-select between a complex array of foods to meet nutritional needs and adaptively respond to changes in either the external environment or internal physiological state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Christopher D. Morrison
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA; (M.S.K.); (R.A.S.); (H.M.); (S.Y.); (V.L.A.); (Y.H.); (H.-R.B.)
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Abstract
All organisms have the ability to detect chemicals in the environment, which likely evolved out of organisms' needs to detect food sources and avoid potentially harmful compounds. The taste system detects chemicals and is used to determine whether potential food items will be ingested or rejected. The sense of taste detects five known taste qualities: bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and umami, which is the detection of amino acids, specifically glutamate. These different taste qualities encompass a wide variety of chemicals that differ in their structure and as a result, the peripheral taste utilizes numerous and diverse mechanisms to detect these stimuli. In this chapter, we will summarize what is currently known about the signaling mechanisms used by taste cells to transduce stimulus signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debarghya Dutta Banik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kathryn F Medler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Saites LN, Goldsmith Z, Densky J, Guedes VA, Boughter JD. Mice perceive synergistic umami mixtures as tasting sweet. Chem Senses 2015; 40:295-303. [PMID: 25820205 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjv010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous electrophysiological investigation shows that combinations of compounds classified by humans as umami-tasting, such as glutamate salts and 5'-ribonucleotides, elicit synergistic responses in neurons throughout the rodent taste system and produce a pattern that resembles responses to sweet compounds. The current study tested the hypothesis that a synergistic mixture of monopotassium glutamate (MPG) and inositol monophosphate (IMP) possesses perceptual similarity to sucrose in mice. We estimated behavioral similarity among these tastants and the individual umami compounds using a series of conditioned taste aversion (CTA) tests, a procedure that measures whether a CTA formed to one stimulus generalizes to another. Our primary finding was that a CTA to a synergistic mixture of MPG + IMP generalizes to sucrose, and vice-versa. This indicates umami synergistic mixtures are perceived as having a sweet, or at least sucrose-like, taste to mice. Considering other recent studies, our data argue strongly in favor of multiple receptor mechanisms for umami detection, and complexity in taste perception models for rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis N Saites
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 855 Monroe Avenue, Suite 515, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Zachary Goldsmith
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 855 Monroe Avenue, Suite 515, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Jaron Densky
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 855 Monroe Avenue, Suite 515, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Vivian A Guedes
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 855 Monroe Avenue, Suite 515, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - John D Boughter
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 855 Monroe Avenue, Suite 515, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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Tordoff MG, Ellis HT. Taste dysfunction in BTBR mice due to a mutation of Itpr3, the inositol triphosphate receptor 3 gene. Physiol Genomics 2013; 45:834-55. [PMID: 23859941 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00092.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The BTBR T+ tf/J (BTBR) mouse strain is indifferent to exemplars of sweet, Polycose, umami, bitter, and calcium tastes, which share in common transduction by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). To investigate the genetic basis for this taste dysfunction, we screened 610 BTBR×NZW/LacJ F2 hybrids, identified a potent QTL on chromosome 17, and isolated this in a congenic strain. Mice carrying the BTBR/BTBR haplotype in the 0.8-Mb (21-gene) congenic region were indifferent to sweet, Polycose, umami, bitter, and calcium tastes. To assess the contribution of a likely causative culprit, Itpr3, the inositol triphosphate receptor 3 gene, we produced and tested Itpr3 knockout mice. These were also indifferent to GPCR-mediated taste compounds. Sequencing the BTBR form of Itpr3 revealed a unique 12 bp deletion in Exon 23 (Chr 17: 27238069; Build 37). We conclude that a spontaneous mutation of Itpr3 in a progenitor of the BTBR strain produced a heretofore unrecognized dysfunction of GPCR-mediated taste transduction.
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Abstract
There is considerable disagreement regarding what constitutes a healthy diet. Ever since the influential work of Cannon and Richter, it was debated whether the 'wisdom of the body' will automatically direct us to the foods we need for healthy lives or whether we must carefully learn to eat the right foods, particularly in an environment of plenty. Although it is clear that strong mechanisms have evolved to prevent consumption of foods that have previously made us sick, it is less clear whether reciprocal mechanisms exist that reinforce the consumption of healthy diets. Here, we review recent progress in providing behavioural evidence for the regulation of intake and selection of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. We examine new developments in sensory physiology enabling recognition of macronutrients both pre- and post-ingestively. Finally, we propose a general model for central neural processing of nutrient-specific appetites. We suggest that the same basic neural circuitry responsible for the homoeostatic regulation of total energy intake is also used to control consumption of specific macro- and micronutrients. Similar to salt appetite, specific appetites for other micro- and macronutrients may be encoded by unique molecular changes in the hypothalamus. Gratification of such specific appetites is then accomplished by engaging the brain motivational system to assign the highest reward prediction to exteroceptive cues previously associated with consuming the missing ingredient. A better understanding of these nutrient-specific neural processes could help design drugs and behavioural strategies that promote healthier eating.
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Morrison CD, Reed SD, Henagan TM. Homeostatic regulation of protein intake: in search of a mechanism. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2012; 302:R917-28. [PMID: 22319049 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00609.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Free-living organisms must procure adequate nutrition by negotiating an environment in which both the quality and quantity of food vary markedly. Recent decades have seen marked progress in our understanding of neural regulation of feeding behavior. However, this progress has occurred largely in the context of energy intake, despite the fact that food intake is influenced by more than just the energy content of the diet. A large number of behavioral studies indicate that both the quantity and quality of dietary protein can markedly influence food intake. High-protein diets tend to reduce intake, low-protein diets tend to increase intake, and rodent models seem to self-select between diets in order to meet protein requirements and avoid diets that are imbalanced in amino acids. Recent work suggests that the amino acid leucine regulates food intake by altering mTOR and AMPK signaling in the hypothalamus, while activation of GCN2 within the anterior piriform cortex contributes to the detection and avoidance of amino acid-imbalanced diets. This review focuses on the role that these and other signaling systems may play in mediating the homeostatic regulation of protein balance, and in doing so, highlights our lack of knowledge regarding the physiological and neurobiological mechanisms that might underpin such a regulatory phenomenon.
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Cyclophosphamide-induced disruption of umami taste functions and taste epithelium. Neuroscience 2011; 192:732-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2011] [Revised: 07/03/2011] [Accepted: 07/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Abstract
There has been extensive work to elucidate the behavioral and physiological mechanisms responsible for taste preferences of the rat but little attempt to delineate the underlying genetic architecture. Here, we exploit the FHH-Chr n(BN)/Mcwi consomic rat strain set to identify chromosomes carrying genes responsible for taste preferences. We screened the parental Fawn Hooded Hypertensive (FHH) and Brown Norway (BN) strains and 22 FHH-Chr n(BN) consomic strains, with 96-h 2-bottle tests, involving a choice between water and each of the following 16 solutions: 10 mM NaCl, 237 mM NaCl, 32 mM CaCl(2), 1 mM saccharin, 100 mM NH(4)Cl, 32 mM sucrose, 100 mM KCl, 4% ethanol, 1 mM HCl, 10 mM monosodium glutamate, 1 mM citric acid, 32 microM quinine hydrochloride, 1% corn oil, 32 microM denatonium, 1% Polycose, and 1 microM capsaicin. Depending on the taste solution involved, between 1 and 16 chromosomes were implicated in the response. Few of these chromosomes carried genes believed to mediate taste transduction in the mouse, and many chromosomes with no candidate taste genes were revealed. The genetic architecture of taste preferences is considerably more complex than has heretofore been acknowledged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Tordoff
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Chen K, Yan J, Suo Y, Li J, Wang Q, Lv B. Nutritional status alters saccharin intake and sweet receptor mRNA expression in rat taste buds. Brain Res 2010; 1325:53-62. [PMID: 20156422 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2009] [Revised: 01/15/2010] [Accepted: 02/05/2010] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Sweet taste usually signifies the presence of caloric food. It is commonly accepted that a close association exists among sweet taste perception, preference, and nutritional status. However, the mechanisms involved remain unknown. To investigate whether nutritional status affects the preference for palatable solutions and alters sweet taste receptor gene expression in rats, we measured saccharin intake and preference using a two-bottle preference test, and changes in body weight, plasma leptin levels, and gene expression for the sweet taste receptor in taste buds in high-fat diet-induced obese rats and chronically diet-restricted rats. We found that the consumption and preference ratios for 0.01 and 0.04 M saccharin were significantly lower in the high-fat diet-induced obese rats than in the normal diet rats, while the serum leptin levels were markedly increased in obese rats. Consistent with the changes in saccharin intake, the gene expression level of the sweet taste receptor T1R3 was significantly decreased in the high-fat diet-induced obese rats compared with the control rats. By contrast, the chronically diet-restricted rats showed remarkably enhanced consumption and preference for 0.04 M saccharin. The serum leptin concentration was decreased, and the gene expression of the leptin receptor was markedly increased in the taste buds. In conclusion, our results suggest that nutritional status alters saccharin preference and the expression of T1R3 in taste buds. These processes may be involved in the mechanisms underlying the modulation of peripheral sweet taste sensitivity, in which leptin plays a role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Chen
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Xian Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xian, Shaanxi, PR China
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Formaker BK, Lin H, Hettinger TP, Frank ME. Responses of the hamster chorda tympani nerve to sucrose+acid and sucrose+citrate taste mixtures. Chem Senses 2009; 34:607-16. [PMID: 19620386 PMCID: PMC2728834 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjp043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of taste receptor cells, chorda tympani (CT) neurons, and brainstem neurons show stimulus interactions in the form of inhibition or enhancement of the effectiveness of sucrose when mixed with acids or citrate salts, respectively. To investigate further the effects of acids and the trivalent citrate anion on sucrose responses in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), we recorded multifiber CT responses to 100 mM sucrose; a concentration series of HCl, citric acid, acetic acid, sodium citrate (with and without amiloride added), potassium citrate, and all binary combinations of acids and salts with 100 mM sucrose. Compared with response additivity, sucrose responses were increasingly suppressed in acid + sucrose mixtures with increases in titratable acidity, but HCl and citric acid were more effective suppressors than acetic acid. Citrate salts suppressed sucrose responses and baseline CT neural activity to a similar degree. Citrate salts also elicited prolonged, concentration-dependent, water-rinse responses. The specific loss in sucrose effectiveness as a CT stimulus with increasing titratable acidity was confirmed; however, no increase in sucrose effectiveness was found with the addition of citrate. Further study is needed to define the chemical basis for effects of acids and salts in taste mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley K Formaker
- Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
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