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Polat H, Grande G, Aurangzeb Z, Zhang H, Daghfous G, Dubuc R, Zielinski B. The distribution and chemosensory responses of pharyngeal taste buds in the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024:10.1007/s00359-024-01708-3. [PMID: 39078515 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-024-01708-3] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Little is known about the chemosensory system of gustation in sea lampreys, basal jawless vertebrates that feed voraciously on live prey. The objective of this study was to investigate taste bud distribution and chemosensory responses along the length of the pharynx in the sea lamprey. Scanning electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry revealed taste buds and associated axons at all six lateral pharyngeal locations between the seven pairs of internal gill pores. The most rostral pharyngeal region contained more and larger taste buds than the most caudal region. Taste receptor cell responses were recorded to sweet, bitter, amino acids and the bile acid taurocholic acid, as well as to adenosine triphosphate. Similar chemosensory responses were observed at all six pharyngeal locations with taste buds. Overall, this study shows prominent taste buds and taste receptor cell activity in the seven pharyngeal regions of the sea lamprey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Polat
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Gianfranco Grande
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Zeenat Aurangzeb
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Huiming Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Gheylen Daghfous
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Département des Sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Réjean Dubuc
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Département des Sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Barbara Zielinski
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.
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2
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Painelli VDS, Brietzke C, Franco-Alvarenga PE, Canestri R, Vinícius Í, Pires FO. A Narrative Review of Current Concerns and Future Perspectives of the Carbohydrate Mouth Rinse Effects on Exercise Performance. SAGE Open Med 2022; 10:20503121221098120. [PMID: 35615525 PMCID: PMC9125602 DOI: 10.1177/20503121221098120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous systematic reviews have confirmed that carbohydrate (CHO) mouth rinse
may boost physical exercise performance, despite some methodological aspects
likely affecting its ergogenic effect. In this review, we discussed if the
exercise mode, pre-exercise fasting status, CHO solutions concentration, CHO
solutions temperature, mouth rinse duration, and CHO placebo effects may
potentially reduce the CHO mouth rinse ergogenic effect, suggesting possible
solutions to manage these potential confounders. The effectiveness of CHO mouth
rinse as a performance booster is apparently related to the origin of the
exercise-induced neuromuscular fatigue, as CHO mouth rinse unequivocally
potentiates endurance rather than sprint and strength exercises performance.
Furthermore, ergogenic effects have been greater in fasting than fed state,
somehow explaining the varied magnitude of the CHO mouth rinse effects in
exercise performance. In this regard, the CHO solution concentration and
temperature, as well as the mouth rinse duration, may have increased the
variability observed in CHO mouth rinse effects in fasting and fed state.
Finally, placebo effects have challenged the potential of the CHO mouth rinse as
an ergogenic aid. Therefore, we suggest that future studies should consider
methodological controls such as sample size and sample homogeneity, proper
familiarization with experimental procedures, and the use of alternative placebo
designs to provide unbiased evidence regarding the potential of the CHO mouth
rinse as an ergogenic aid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor de Salles Painelli
- Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Strength Training Study and Research Group, Institute of Health Sciences, Paulista University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cayque Brietzke
- Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Human Movement Science and Rehabilitation Program, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
| | - Paulo Estevão Franco-Alvarenga
- Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Human Movement Science and Rehabilitation Program, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
| | - Raul Canestri
- Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ítalo Vinícius
- Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flávio Oliveira Pires
- Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Human Movement Science and Rehabilitation Program, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
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3
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von Molitor E, Riedel K, Krohn M, Hafner M, Rudolf R, Cesetti T. Sweet Taste Is Complex: Signaling Cascades and Circuits Involved in Sweet Sensation. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:667709. [PMID: 34239428 PMCID: PMC8258107 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.667709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sweetness is the preferred taste of humans and many animals, likely because sugars are a primary source of energy. In many mammals, sweet compounds are sensed in the tongue by the gustatory organ, the taste buds. Here, a group of taste bud cells expresses a canonical sweet taste receptor, whose activation induces Ca2+ rise, cell depolarization and ATP release to communicate with afferent gustatory nerves. The discovery of the sweet taste receptor, 20 years ago, was a milestone in the understanding of sweet signal transduction and is described here from a historical perspective. Our review briefly summarizes the major findings of the canonical sweet taste pathway, and then focuses on molecular details, about the related downstream signaling, that are still elusive or have been neglected. In this context, we discuss evidence supporting the existence of an alternative pathway, independent of the sweet taste receptor, to sense sugars and its proposed role in glucose homeostasis. Further, given that sweet taste receptor expression has been reported in many other organs, the physiological role of these extraoral receptors is addressed. Finally, and along these lines, we expand on the multiple direct and indirect effects of sugars on the brain. In summary, the review tries to stimulate a comprehensive understanding of how sweet compounds signal to the brain upon taste bud cells activation, and how this gustatory process is integrated with gastro-intestinal sugar sensing to create a hedonic and metabolic representation of sugars, which finally drives our behavior. Understanding of this is indeed a crucial step in developing new strategies to prevent obesity and associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena von Molitor
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Hochschule Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | | | - Mathias Hafner
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Hochschule Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Rudolf
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Hochschule Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.,Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tiziana Cesetti
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Hochschule Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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4
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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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Cherkashin AP, Kolesnikova AS, Tarasov MV, Romanov RA, Rogachevskaja OA, Bystrova MF, Kolesnikov SS. Expression of calcium-activated chloride channels Ano1 and Ano2 in mouse taste cells. Pflugers Arch 2015; 468:305-19. [DOI: 10.1007/s00424-015-1751-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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6
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Zhang F, Zhang Q, Zhang D, Lu Y, Liu Q, Wang P. Biosensor analysis of natural and artificial sweeteners in intact taste epithelium. Biosens Bioelectron 2013; 54:385-92. [PMID: 24292144 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2013.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Sweeteners are commonly used as food additives in our daily life, which, however, have been causing a number of undesirable diseases since the last century. Therefore, the detection and quantification of sweeteners are of great value for food safety. In this study, we used a taste biosensor to measure and analyze different sweeteners, both natural and artificial sweeteners included. Electrophysiological activities from taste epithelium were detected by the multi-channel biosensors and analyzed with spatiotemporal methods. The longtime signal result showed different temporal-frequency properties with stimulations of individual sweeteners such as glucose, sucrose, saccharin, and cyclamate, while the multi-channel results in our study revealed the spatial expression of taste epithelium to sweet stimuli. Furthermore, in the analysis of sweetener with different concentrations, the result showed obvious dose-dependent increases in signal responses of the taste epithelium, which indicated promising applications in sweetness evaluation. Besides, the mixture experiment of two natural sweeteners with a similar functional unit (glucose and sucrose) presented two signal patterns, which turned out to be similar with responses of each individual stimulus involved. The biosensor analysis of common sweeteners provided new approaches for both natural and artificial sweeteners evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenni Zhang
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310027, PR China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310027, PR China
| | - Diming Zhang
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310027, PR China
| | - Yanli Lu
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310027, PR China
| | - Qingjun Liu
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310027, PR China.
| | - Ping Wang
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310027, PR China
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7
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Romanov RA, Rogachevskaja OA, Bystrova MF, Kolesnikov SS. Electrical excitability of taste cells. Mechanisms and possible physiological significance. BIOCHEMISTRY MOSCOW SUPPLEMENT SERIES A-MEMBRANE AND CELL BIOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1134/s1990747812010126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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8
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Eddy MC, Eschle BK, Peterson D, Lauras N, Margolskee RF, Delay ER. A conditioned aversion study of sucrose and SC45647 taste in TRPM5 knockout mice. Chem Senses 2011; 37:391-401. [PMID: 21987728 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjr093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, published studies have reported mixed results regarding the role of the TRPM5 cation channel in signaling sweet taste by taste sensory cells. Some studies have reported a complete loss of sweet taste preference in TRPM5 knockout (KO) mice, whereas others have reported only a partial loss of sweet taste preference. This study reports the results of conditioned aversion studies designed to motivate wild-type (WT) and KO mice to respond to sweet substances. In conditioned taste aversion experiments, WT mice showed nearly complete LiCl-induced response suppression to sucrose and SC45647. In contrast, TRPM5 KO mice showed a much smaller conditioned aversion to either sweet substance, suggesting a compromised, but not absent, ability to detect sweet taste. A subsequent conditioned flavor aversion experiment was conducted to determine if TRPM5 KO mice were impaired in their ability to learn a conditioned aversion. In this experiment, KO and WT mice were conditioned to a mixture of SC45647 and amyl acetate (an odor cue). Although WT mice avoided both components of the stimulus mixture, they avoided SC45647 more than the odor cue. The KO mice also avoided both stimuli, but they avoided the odor component more than SC45647, suggesting that while the KO mice are capable of learning an aversion, to them the odor cue was more salient than the taste cue. Collectively, these findings suggest the TRPM5 KO mice have some residual ability to detect SC45647 and sucrose, and, like bitter, there may be a TRPM5-independent transduction pathway for detecting these substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan C Eddy
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Marsh Life Science Building, Room 113, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
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9
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Carbohydrate mouth rinse: does it improve endurance exercise performance? Nutr J 2010; 9:33. [PMID: 20799963 PMCID: PMC2936414 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-9-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2010] [Accepted: 08/27/2010] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation can improve performance in endurance exercises through several mechanisms such as maintenance of glycemia and sparing endogenous glycogen as well as the possibility of a central nervous-system action. Some studies have emerged in recent years in order to test the hypothesis of ergogenic action via central nervous system. Recent studies have demonstrated that CHO mouth rinse can lead to improved performance of cyclists, and this may be associated with the activation of brain areas linked to motivation and reward. These findings have already been replicated in other endurance modalities, such as running. This alternative seems to be an attractive nutritional tool to improve endurance exercise performance.
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10
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Yoshida R, Ninomiya Y. New Insights into the Signal Transmission from Taste Cells to Gustatory Nerve Fibers. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2010; 279:101-34. [DOI: 10.1016/s1937-6448(10)79004-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
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11
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Modeling and simulation of ion channels and action potentials in taste receptor cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 52:1036-47. [DOI: 10.1007/s11427-009-0138-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Roberts CD, Dvoryanchikov G, Roper SD, Chaudhari N. Interaction between the second messengers cAMP and Ca2+ in mouse presynaptic taste cells. J Physiol 2009; 587:1657-68. [PMID: 19221121 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.170555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The second messenger, 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), is known to be modulated in taste buds following exposure to gustatory and other stimuli. Which taste cell type(s) (Type I/glial-like cells, Type II/receptor cells, or Type III/presynaptic cells) undergo taste-evoked changes of cAMP and what the functional consequences of such changes are remain unknown. Using Fura-2 imaging of isolated mouse vallate taste cells, we explored how elevating cAMP alters Ca(2+) levels in identified taste cells. Stimulating taste buds with forskolin (Fsk; 1 microm) + isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX; 100 microm), which elevates cellular cAMP, triggered Ca(2+) transients in 38% of presynaptic cells (n = 128). We used transgenic GAD-GFP mice to show that cAMP-triggered Ca(2+) responses occur only in the subset of presynaptic cells that lack glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD). We never observed cAMP-stimulated responses in receptor cells, glial-like cells or GAD-expressing presynaptic cells. The response to cAMP was blocked by the protein kinase A inhibitor H89 and by removing extracellular Ca(2+). Thus, the response to elevated cAMP is a PKA-dependent influx of Ca(2+). This Ca(2+) influx was blocked by nifedipine (an inhibitor of L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels) but was unperturbed by omega-agatoxin IVA and omega-conotoxin GVIA (P/Q-type and N-type channel inhibitors, respectively). Single-cell RT-PCR on functionally identified presynaptic cells from GAD-GFP mice confirmed the pharmacological analyses: Ca(v)1.2 (an L-type subunit) is expressed in cells that display cAMP-triggered Ca(2+) influx, while Ca(v)2.1 (a P/Q subunit) is expressed in all presynaptic cells, and underlies depolarization-triggered Ca(2+) influx. Collectively, these data demonstrate cross-talk between cAMP and Ca(2+) signalling in a subclass of taste cells that form synapses with gustatory fibres and may integrate tastant-evoked signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig D Roberts
- Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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13
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Ohkuri T, Yasumatsu K, Horio N, Jyotaki M, Margolskee RF, Ninomiya Y. Multiple sweet receptors and transduction pathways revealed in knockout mice by temperature dependence and gurmarin sensitivity. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2009; 296:R960-71. [PMID: 19211717 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.91018.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Sweet taste transduction involves taste receptor type 1, member 2 (T1R2), taste receptor type 1, member 3 (T1R3), gustducin, and TRPM5. Because knockout (KO) mice lacking T1R3, gustducin's Galpha subunit (Galphagust), or TRPM5 exhibited greatly reduced, but not abolished responses of the chorda tympani (CT) nerve to sweet compounds, it is likely that multiple sweet transduction pathways exist. That gurmarin (Gur), a sweet taste inhibitor, inhibits some but not all mouse CT responses to sweet compounds supports the existence of multiple sweet pathways. Here, we investigated Gur inhibition of CT responses to sweet compounds as a function of temperature in KO mice lacking T1R3, Galphagust, or TRPM5. In T1R3-KO mice, responses to sucrose and glucose were Gur sensitive (GS) and displayed a temperature-dependent increase (TDI). In Galphagust-KO mice, responses to sucrose and glucose were Gur-insensitive (GI) and showed a TDI. In TRPM5-KO mice, responses to glucose were GS and showed a TDI. All three KO mice exhibited no detectable responses to SC45647, and their responses to saccharin displayed neither GS nor a TDI. For all three KO mice, the lingual application of pronase, another sweet response inhibitor, almost fully abolished responses to sucrose and glucose but did not affect responses to saccharin. These results provide evidence for 1) the existence of multiple transduction pathways underlying responses to sugars: a T1R3-independent GS pathway for sucrose and glucose, and a TRPM5-independent temperature sensitive GS pathway for glucose; 2) the requirement for Galphagust in GS sweet taste responses; and 3) the existence of a sweet independent pathway for saccharin, in mouse taste cells on the anterior tongue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadahiro Ohkuri
- Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
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14
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Wang H, Iguchi N, Rong Q, Zhou M, Ogunkorode M, Inoue M, Pribitkin EA, Bachmanov AA, Margolskee RF, Pfeifer K, Huang L. Expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ1 in mammalian taste bud cells and the effect of its null-mutation on taste preferences. J Comp Neurol 2009; 512:384-98. [PMID: 19006182 PMCID: PMC2734193 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate taste buds undergo continual cell turnover. To understand how the gustatory progenitor cells in the stratified lingual epithelium migrate and differentiate into different types of mature taste cells, we sought to identify genes that were selectively expressed in taste cells at different maturation stages. Here we report the expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ1 in mammalian taste buds of mouse, rat, and human. Immunohistochemistry and nuclear staining showed that nearly all rodent and human taste cells express this channel. Double immunostaining with antibodies against type II and III taste cell markers validated the presence of KCNQ1 in these two types of cells. Co-localization studies with cytokeratin 14 indicated that KCNQ1 is also expressed in type IV basal precursor cells. Null mutation of the kcnq1 gene in mouse, however, did not alter the gross structure of taste buds or the expression of taste signaling molecules. Behavioral assays showed that the mutant mice display reduced preference to some umami substances, but not to any other taste compounds tested. Gustatory nerve recordings, however, were unable to detect any significant change in the integrated nerve responses of the mutant mice to umami stimuli. These results suggest that although it is expressed in nearly all taste bud cells, the function of KCNQ1 is not required for gross taste bud development or peripheral taste transduction pathways, and the reduced preference of kcnq1-null mice in the behavioral assays may be attributable to the deficiency in the central nervous system or other organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Wang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Naoko Iguchi
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Qi Rong
- Laboratory of Mammalian Genes and Development, NICHD/NIH 9000, Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Minliang Zhou
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Martina Ogunkorode
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Masashi Inoue
- Department of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Edmund A. Pribitkin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | | | - Robert F. Margolskee
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Karl Pfeifer
- Laboratory of Mammalian Genes and Development, NICHD/NIH 9000, Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Liquan Huang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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15
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Zhang W, Delay RJ. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone modulates voltage-activated sodium current and odor responses in Necturus maculosus olfactory sensory neurons. J Neurosci Res 2007; 85:1656-67. [PMID: 17465028 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.21297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The terminal nerve (nervus terminalis) extends from the basal forebrain to the nasal cavity and has been shown to contain gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The specific function of the terminal nerve is unknown, but it has been hypothesized that it modulates the function of olfactory neurons. To examine the effects of GnRH on isolated Necturus maculosus olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), we used the perforated configuration of the patch clamp technique to record current responses. GnRH had no effect on the membrane current at any holding potential but did modulate voltage-activated TTX-sensitive sodium current (INa). Within 1 min of applying GnRH, approximately 60% of the OSNs showed a decrease in the magnitude of INa. Initial responses to GnRH were inhibitory, although in one group of cells the initial inhibitory response was followed by a potentiation of INa with continual application (approximately 5 min). The time course of the GnRH response suggested that a second messenger pathway mediated the response. Inhibitors of PKC, tyrosine kinase, and PI3K were all able to inhibit the INa, but none of them could prevent the GnRH response. Application of a cAMP analog mimicked the effects of GnRH, and only inhibitors of PKA and PKG could prevent GnRH-induced inhibition of INa. This suggests that the modulation of voltage-activated sodium currents by GnRH involve a cyclic nucleotide pathway. In addition, GnRH modulated the odor responses of OSNs. Our data suggest the release of GnRH, presumably from the terminal nerve, can serve to modulate olfactory sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenling Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA
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16
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Kamerud JK, Delwiche JF. Individual differences in perceived bitterness predict liking of sweeteners. Chem Senses 2007; 32:803-10. [PMID: 17646203 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjm050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although recent molecular studies suggest that only one receptor and one signaling pathway are involved in the perception of sweetness, this seems to contradict everyday experience that people not only have different likes and dislikes of certain sweeteners but also perceive the sweeteners differently. One possible explanation is that variation in liking of sweeteners is due, in part, to variation across individuals in sensitivity to nonsweet tastes, such as bitterness, which are transduced by a variety of receptors. Fifty individuals were asked to rate intensities of several taste attributes of 10 sweeteners and to give hedonic assessments of each sweetener. Additionally, their sensitivity to 6-n-propyl-3-thiouracil (PROP) was determined. Results indicated that when matched for sweetness, the perception of bitterness and the sweetener compound were the 2 largest factors contributing to overall liking of a sweetener. Sensitivity to PROP did not contribute significantly to the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Kamerud
- Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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17
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Yoshida R, Yasumatsu K, Shigemura N, Ninomiya Y. Coding channels for taste perception: information transmission from taste cells to gustatory nerve fibers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 69:233-42. [PMID: 17287578 DOI: 10.1679/aohc.69.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Taste signals are first detected by the taste receptor cells, which are located in taste buds existing in the tongue, soft palate, larynx and epiglottis. Taste receptor cells contact with the chemical compounds in oral cavity through the apical processes which protrude into the taste pore. Interaction between chemical compounds and the taste receptor produces activation of taste receptor cells directly or indirectly. Then the signals are transmitted to gustatory nerve fibers and higher order neurons. A recent study demonstrated many similarities between response properties of taste receptor cells with action potentials and those of the gustatory nerve fibers innervating them, suggesting information derived from receptor cells generating action potentials may form a major component of taste information that is transmitted to gustatory nerve fibers. These findings may also indicate that there is no major modification of taste information sampled by taste receptor cells in synaptic transmission from taste cells to nerve fibers although there is indirect evidence. In the peripheral taste system, gustatory nerve fibers may selectively contact with taste receptor cells that have similar response properties and convey constant taste information to the higher order neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryusuke Yoshida
- Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan
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Romanov RA, Rogachevskaja OA, Bystrova MF, Jiang P, Margolskee RF, Kolesnikov SS. Afferent neurotransmission mediated by hemichannels in mammalian taste cells. EMBO J 2007; 26:657-67. [PMID: 17235286 PMCID: PMC1794384 DOI: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7601526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2006] [Accepted: 12/05/2006] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammalian taste buds, ionotropic P2X receptors operate in gustatory nerve endings to mediate afferent inputs. Thus, ATP secretion represents a key aspect of taste transduction. Here, we characterized individual vallate taste cells electrophysiologically and assayed their secretion of ATP with a biosensor. Among electrophysiologically distinguishable taste cells, a population was found that released ATP in a manner that was Ca(2+) independent but voltage-dependent. Data from physiological and pharmacological experiments suggested that ATP was released from taste cells via specific channels, likely to be connexin or pannexin hemichannels. A small fraction of ATP-secreting taste cells responded to bitter compounds, indicating that they express taste receptors, their G-protein-coupled and downstream transduction elements. Single cell RT-PCR revealed that ATP-secreting taste cells expressed gustducin, TRPM5, PLCbeta2, multiple connexins and pannexin 1. Altogether, our data indicate that tastant-responsive taste cells release the neurotransmitter ATP via a non-exocytotic mechanism dependent upon the generation of an action potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman A Romanov
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Olga A Rogachevskaja
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Marina F Bystrova
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Peihua Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert F Margolskee
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stanislav S Kolesnikov
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
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Yoshida R, Shigemura N, Sanematsu K, Yasumatsu K, Ishizuka S, Ninomiya Y. Taste Responsiveness of Fungiform Taste Cells With Action Potentials. J Neurophysiol 2006; 96:3088-95. [PMID: 16971686 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00409.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that a subset of taste cells generate action potentials in response to taste stimuli. However, responsiveness of these cells to particular tastants remains unknown. In the present study, by using a newly developed extracellular recording technique, we recorded action potentials from the basolateral membrane of single receptor cells in response to taste stimuli applied apically to taste buds isolated from mouse fungiform papillae. By this method, we examined taste-cell responses to stimuli representing the four basic taste qualities (NaCl, Na saccharin, HCl, and quinine-HCl). Of 72 cells responding to taste stimuli, 48 (67%) responded to one, 22 (30%) to two, and 2 (3%) to three of four taste stimuli. The entropy value presenting the breadth of responsiveness was 0.158 ± 0.234 (mean ± SD), which was close to that for the nerve fibers (0.183 ± 0.262). In addition, the proportion of taste cells predominantly sensitive to each of the four taste stimuli, and the grouping of taste cells based on hierarchical cluster analysis, were comparable with those of chorda tympani (CT) fibers. The occurrence of each class of taste cells with different taste responsiveness to the four taste stimuli was not significantly different from that of CT fibers except for classes with broad taste responsiveness. These results suggest that information derived from taste cells generating action potentials may provide the major component of taste information that is transmitted to gustatory nerve fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryusuke Yoshida
- Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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20
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Clapp TR, Medler KF, Damak S, Margolskee RF, Kinnamon SC. Mouse taste cells with G protein-coupled taste receptors lack voltage-gated calcium channels and SNAP-25. BMC Biol 2006; 4:7. [PMID: 16573824 PMCID: PMC1444931 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-4-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2006] [Accepted: 03/30/2006] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Taste receptor cells are responsible for transducing chemical stimuli from the environment and relaying information to the nervous system. Bitter, sweet and umami stimuli utilize G-protein coupled receptors which activate the phospholipase C (PLC) signaling pathway in Type II taste cells. However, it is not known how these cells communicate with the nervous system. Previous studies have shown that the subset of taste cells that expresses the T2R bitter receptors lack voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, which are normally required for synaptic transmission at conventional synapses. Here we use two lines of transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) from two taste-specific promoters to examine Ca2+ signaling in subsets of Type II cells: T1R3-GFP mice were used to identify sweet- and umami-sensitive taste cells, while TRPM5-GFP mice were used to identify all cells that utilize the PLC signaling pathway for transduction. Voltage-gated Ca2+ currents were assessed with Ca2+ imaging and whole cell recording, while immunocytochemistry was used to detect expression of SNAP-25, a presynaptic SNARE protein that is associated with conventional synapses in taste cells. Results Depolarization with high K+ resulted in an increase in intracellular Ca2+ in a small subset of non-GFP labeled cells of both transgenic mouse lines. In contrast, no depolarization-evoked Ca2+ responses were observed in GFP-expressing taste cells of either genotype, but GFP-labeled cells responded to the PLC activator m-3M3FBS, suggesting that these cells were viable. Whole cell recording indicated that the GFP-labeled cells of both genotypes had small voltage-dependent Na+ and K+ currents, but no evidence of Ca2+ currents. A subset of non-GFP labeled taste cells exhibited large voltage-dependent Na+ and K+ currents and a high threshold voltage-gated Ca2+ current. Immunocytochemistry indicated that SNAP-25 was expressed in a separate population of taste cells from those expressing T1R3 or TRPM5. These data indicate that G protein-coupled taste receptors and conventional synaptic signaling mechanisms are expressed in separate populations of taste cells. Conclusion The taste receptor cells responsible for the transduction of bitter, sweet, and umami stimuli are unlikely to communicate with nerve fibers by using conventional chemical synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tod R Clapp
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center, UCDHSC, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kathryn F Medler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center, UCDHSC, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Sami Damak
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- SD, Nestle Research Center, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Robert F Margolskee
- Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, Mount. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sue C Kinnamon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center, UCDHSC, Aurora, CO, USA
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21
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Trubey KR, Culpepper S, Maruyama Y, Kinnamon SC, Chaudhari N. Tastants evoke cAMP signal in taste buds that is independent of calcium signaling. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2006; 291:C237-44. [PMID: 16510847 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00303.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We previously showed that rat taste buds express several adenylyl cyclases (ACs) of which only AC8 is known to be stimulated by Ca2+. Here we demonstrate by direct measurements of cAMP levels that AC activity in taste buds is stimulated by treatments that elevate intracellular Ca2+. Specifically, 5 microM thapsigargin or 3 microM A-23187 (calcium ionophore), both of which increase intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), lead to a significant elevation of cAMP levels. This calcium stimulation of AC activity requires extracellular Ca2+, suggesting that it is dependent on Ca2+ entry rather than release from stores. With immunofluorescence microscopy, we show that the calcium-stimulated AC8 is principally expressed in taste cells that also express phospholipase Cbeta2 (i.e., cells that elevate [Ca2+]i in response to sweet, bitter, or umami stimuli). Taste transduction for sucrose is known to result in an elevation of both cAMP and calcium in taste buds. Thus we tested whether the cAMP increase in response to sucrose is a downstream consequence of calcium elevation. Even under conditions of depletion of stored and extracellular calcium, the cAMP response to sucrose stimulation persists in taste cells. The cAMP signal in response to monosodium glutamate stimulation is similarly unperturbed by calcium depletion. Our results suggest that tastant-evoked cAMP signals are not simply a secondary consequence of calcium modulation. Instead, cAMP and released Ca2+ may represent independent second messenger signals downstream of taste receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina R Trubey
- Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics (R430 Univ. of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Ave., Miami, FL 33136, USA
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22
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Liu L, Hansen DR, Kim I, Gilbertson TA. Expression and characterization of delayed rectifying K+channels in anterior rat taste buds. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2005; 289:C868-80. [PMID: 15930148 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00115.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Delayed rectifying K+(DRK) channels in taste cells have been implicated in the regulation of cell excitability and as potential targets for direct and indirect modulation by taste stimuli. In the present study, we have used patch-clamp recording to determine the biophysical properties and pharmacological sensitivity of DRK channels in isolated rat fungiform taste buds. Molecular biological assays at the taste bud and single-cell levels are consistent with the interpretation that taste cells express a variety of DRK channels, including members from each of the three major subfamilies: KCNA, KCNB, and KCNC. Real-time PCR assays were used to quantify expression of the nine DRK channel subtypes. While taste cells express a number of DRK channels, the electrophysiological and molecular biological assays indicate that the Shaker Kv1.5 channel (KCNA5) is the major functional DRK channel expressed in the anterior rat tongue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidong Liu
- Department of Biology and The Center for Integrated BioSystems, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322-5305, USA
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Huang L, Cao J, Wang H, Vo LA, Brand JG. Identification and functional characterization of a voltage-gated chloride channel and its novel splice variant in taste bud cells. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:36150-7. [PMID: 16129671 PMCID: PMC2367165 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m507706200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste bud cells are epithelial cells with neuronal properties. Voltage-dependent ion channels have been physiologically described in these cells. Here, we report the molecular identification and functional characterization of a voltage-gated chloride channel (ClC-4) and its novel splice variant (ClC-4A) from taste bud cells. ClC-4A skipped an exon near its 5'-end, incurring the loss of 60 amino acids at the N terminus. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry localized these two channels' transcripts and proteins to a subset of taste bud cells. Electrophysiological recordings of the heterologously expressed channels in Xenopus oocytes showed that ClC-4 and ClC-4A have opposite sensitivity to pH and unique ion selectivity. The chloride channel blockers niflumic acid and 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid had a slight or no inhibitory effect on the conductance of ClC-4, but both blockers inhibited ClC-4A, suggesting that ClC-4A is a candidate channel for an acid-induced 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid-sensitive current. Furthermore, these two channels may play a role in bitter-, sweet-, and umami-mediated taste transmission by regulating transmitter uptake into synaptic vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liquan Huang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-3308, USA.
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Taha SA, Fields HL. Encoding of palatability and appetitive behaviors by distinct neuronal populations in the nucleus accumbens. J Neurosci 2005; 25:1193-202. [PMID: 15689556 PMCID: PMC6725953 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3975-04.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2004] [Revised: 12/14/2004] [Accepted: 12/16/2004] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a major public health problem. Palatability (i.e., the reinforcing value of food, derived from orosensory cues) is a significant factor in determining food intake and contributes to increased consumption leading to obesity. The nucleus accumbens is a ventral striatal region that is important for both appetitive and consummatory behaviors and has been implicated in modulating palatability. In this study, we investigated palatability encoding in the firing of nucleus accumbens neurons in rats. Nucleus accumbens neurons with significant changes in firing rate during consummatory behavior displayed one of two principal firing patterns. Firing in one class of nucleus accumbens neurons was correlated with the palatability of sucrose reinforcers; changes in neural activity in this class consisted primarily of excitations. Within this group of neurons, a subset was sensitive to the relative value of sucrose reinforcers, as assessed by a behavioral contrast paradigm. A second and distinct population of nucleus accumbens neurons, with changes in firing that were pre-dominantly inhibitions, was not sensitive to reinforcer palatability; rather, these inhibitions were present even during unreinforced bouts of licking. In addition, the onset of these inhibitions typically occurred before the initiation of the licking behavior itself. We propose that two primary classes of nucleus accumbens neurons contribute to neural processing immediately before and during reinforcer consumption: inhibitions related to initiation and maintenance of consummatory behaviors and excitations that encode reinforcer palatability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharif A Taha
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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25
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Sugita M, Ohishi H, Iwasa Y, Hirono C, Shiba Y. Extracellular proton sensing of the rat gustatory cyclic nucleotide-gated channel. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2004; 319:369-74. [PMID: 15178415 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Elevations of the intracellular levels of cyclic nucleotides appear to cause the cation influx through gustatory cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNGgust) channels expressed in taste cells. Although changes in the oral pH may directly regulate the activity of the CNGgust channel, the mechanism of pH-dependent control of the channel is not understood. In the present study, we combined the whole-cell patch-clamp recording and the site-directed mutagenesis to investigate the effect of extracellular pH on the ion permeation through CNGgust channels expressed in HEK293 cells. Extracellular acidification strongly inhibited ion permeation through open CNGgust channels. Mutation of Glu(289) remarkably attenuated the pH-dependence of the channel, suggesting that Glu(289) in the pore-forming region is a major proton acceptor site. However, the mutant E289A-CNGgust channel possesses the other residual protonation/deprotonation site. The channel activity, tightly regulated by pH(o) and [cNMP](i), suggests the involvement of its pH(o)-dependent ion permeation in taste signal transduction events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Sugita
- Department of Oral Physiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
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Abstract
Despite extensive immunological characterization of the cells within taste buds, little is known about the functional significance of the different cell types. In this study, we use taste cells isolated from mouse vallate and foliate papillae to characterize voltage-gated currents in the three principal elongate types of taste cells: type I, II, and III. Cell types are identified by using antibodies to external epitopes [antigen H for type I cells, antigen A for type II cells, and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) for type III cells]. In addition, we identify the subset of type II cells that contains alpha-gustducin, a G-protein involved in bitter transduction, by using transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of the gustducin promoter. Our results indicate that antigen H-immunoreactive (-IR) cells and many of the antigen A-IR cells have small voltage-gated inward Na(+) and outward K(+) currents but no voltage-gated Ca(2+) currents. In contrast, a subset of antigen A-IR cells and all NCAM-IR cells have large inward Na(+) and outward K(+) currents as well as voltage-gated Ca(2+) currents. Unexpectedly, all gustducin-expressing cells lacked voltage-gated Ca(2+) currents, suggesting that these cells use mechanisms other than classical synapses to communicate signals to the brain.
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Ninomiya Y, Shigemura N, Yasumatsu K, Ohta R, Sugimoto K, Nakashima K, Lindemann B. Leptin and sweet taste. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2002; 64:221-48. [PMID: 11898393 DOI: 10.1016/s0083-6729(02)64007-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Leptin, the product of the obese (ob) gene, is a hormone primarily produced in adipose cells, and also at smaller amounts in some other peripheral organs. It regulates food intake, energy expenditure, and body weight. Leptin is thought to promote weight loss, at least in rodents, by suppressing appetite and stimulating metabolism. Mutant mice that lack either leptin or functional leptin receptors, such as ob/ob and db/db mice, are hyperphagic, massively obese, and diabetic. Central hypothalamic targets are mainly responsible for the effects of leptin on food intake and weight loss. However, there are also direct effects on peripheral tissues. Recently, the taste organ was found to be one of the peripheral targets for leptin. The hormone specifically inhibits sweet taste responses in lean mice and not in db/db mice. Thus leptin appears to act as a modulator of sweet taste, provided a functional leptin receptor is expressed by the taste cells. This chapter reviews the genetics and molecular biology of leptin and its receptors, the receptor mechanisms for sweet taste, the modulating action of leptin on taste receptor cells, and the consequences for the regulation of food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzo Ninomiya
- Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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Abstract
Taste buds are sensory end organs that detect chemical substances occurring in foodstuffs and relay the relative information to the brain. The mechanisms by which the chemical stimuli are converted into biological signals represent a central issue in taste research. Our understanding of how taste buds accomplish this operation relies on the detailed knowledge of the biological properties of taste bud cells-the taste cells-and of the functional processes occurring in these cells during chemostimulation. The amphibian Necturus maculosus (mudpuppy) has proven to be a very useful model for studying basic cellular processes of vertebrate taste reception, some of which are still awaiting to be explored in mammals. The main advantages offered by Necturus are the large size of its taste cells and the relative accessibility of its taste buds, which can therefore be handled easily for experimental manipulations. In this review, I summarize the functional properties of Necturus taste cells studied with electrophysiological techniques (intracellular recordings and patch-clamp recordings). My focus is on ion channels in taste cells and on their role in signal transduction, as well as on the functional relationships among the cells inside Necturus taste buds. This information has revealed to be well suited to outline some of the general physiological processes occurring during taste reception in vertebrates, including mammals, and may represent a useful framework for understanding how taste buds work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albertino Bigiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Fisiologia, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Campi 287, Italy.
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Abstract
The mammalian peripheral taste system undergoes functional changes during postnatal development. These changes could reflect age-dependent alterations in the membrane properties of taste cells, which use a vast array of ion channels for transduction mechanisms. Yet, scarce information is available on the membrane events in developing taste cells. We have addressed this issue by studying voltage-dependent Na+, K+, and Cl- currents (I(Na), I(K), and I(Cl), respectively) in a subset of taste cells (the so-called "Na/OUT" cells, which are electrically excitable and thought to be sensory) from mouse vallate papilla. Voltage-dependent currents play a key role during taste transduction, especially in the generation of action potentials. Patch-clamp recordings revealed that I(Na), I(K), and I(Cl) were expressed early in postnatal development. However, only I(K) and I(Cl) densities increased significantly in developing Na/OUT cells. Consistent with the rise of I(K) density, we found that action potential waveform changed markedly, with an increased speed of repolarization that was accompanied by an enhanced capability of repetitive firing. In addition to membrane excitability changes in putative sensory cells, we observed a concomitant increase in the occurrence of glia-like taste cells (the so called "leaky" cells) among patched cells. Leaky cells are likely involved in dissipating the increase of extracellular K+ during action potential discharge in chemosensory cells. Thus, developing taste cells of the mouse vallate papilla undergo a significant electrophysiological maturation and diversification. These functional changes may have a profound impact on the transduction capabilities of taste buds during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Margolskee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
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32
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Abstract
Taste is the sensory system devoted primarily to a quality check of food to be ingested. Although aided by smell and visual inspection, the final recognition and selection relies on chemoreceptive events in the mouth. Emotional states of acute pleasure or displeasure guide the selection and contribute much to our quality of life. Membrane proteins that serve as receptors for the transduction of taste have for a long time remained elusive. But screening the mass of genome sequence data that have recently become available has provided a new means to identify key receptors for bitter and sweet taste. Molecular biology has also identified receptors for salty, sour and umami taste.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Lindemann
- Department of Physiology, Universität des Saarlandes, Homburg, Germany.
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Sonnier H, Marino AA. SENSORY TRANSDUCTION AS A PROPOSED MODEL FOR BIOLOGICAL DETECTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1081/jbc-100104140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Krizhanovsky V, Agamy O, Naim M. Sucrose-stimulated subsecond transient increase in cGMP level in rat intact circumvallate taste bud cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2000; 279:C120-5. [PMID: 10898723 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.2000.279.1.c120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Initial sweet taste transduction is expected to occur in the subsecond time range. We demonstrate a rapid and transient (75-250 ms) increase of cGMP (but not cAMP) level in rat intact circumvallate taste cells after stimulation by sucrose. This rapid increase does not occur in nonsensory epithelial cells. Pretreatment with a nonspecific phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor (IBMX), a specific cAMP-PDE4 inhibitor (denbufylline), or an adenylyl cyclase activator (forskolin) all increased basal cAMP and abolished the sucrose-stimulated cGMP increase at 150 ms. Pretreatment with a soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4, 3-a]quinoxalin-1-one) reduced, whereas a specific cGMP-PDE inhibitor (zaprinast) abolished, the sucrose-stimulated cGMP increase. It is proposed that cGMP is involved in the initial stage of sugar taste transduction and that cGMP is more significant than cAMP at this stage. Activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase and inhibition of cGMP-PDE may be involved in the transient elevation of cGMP in response to sucrose stimulation. Moreover, it appears that cAMP level must remain low for sucrose to stimulate an increase in cGMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Krizhanovsky
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Quality Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76-100, Israel
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Abstract
Technological advances in neuroscience in general, and molecular biology in particular, offer tremendous experimental opportunities for researchers studying the vertebrate gustatory system. Ultimately, however, the neurobiological events must be linked to the taste-related behavior of the animal. Although there has been some promising work in this regard, progress has been hampered by an absence of a unified theoretical framework regarding function, unconfirmed assumptions inherent in many experimental designs, and a misguided predilection for researchers to interpret results from a variety of vertebrate models in the context of human psychophysics. This review article offers a heuristic for the organization of taste function and encourages greater coordination between behavioral and neurobiological approaches to the problem of understanding gustatory processes in the nervous system. The potential power of such coordinated efforts is discussed as well as the possible interpretive pitfalls associated with the neural analysis of gustation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Spector
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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36
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Abstract
Two different second-messenger pathways have been implicated in sweet taste transduction: sugars produce cyclic AMP (cAMP), whereas synthetic sweeteners stimulate production of inositol 1,4, 5-tris-phosphate (IP(3)) and diacylglycerol (DAG). Both sugars and sweeteners depolarize taste cells by blocking the same resting K(+) conductance, but the intermediate steps in the transduction pathways have not been examined. In this study, the loose-patch recording technique was used to examine the role of protein kinases and other downstream regulatory proteins in the two sweet transduction pathways. Bursts of action currents were elicited from approximately 35% of fungiform taste buds in response to sucrose (200 mM) or NC-00274-01 (NC-01, 200 microM), a synthetic sweetener. To determine whether protein kinase C (PKC) plays a role in sweet transduction, taste buds were stimulated with the PKC activator PDBu (10 microM). In all sweet-responsive taste buds tested (n = 11), PDBu elicited burst of action currents. In contrast, PDBu elicited responses in only 4 of 19 sweet-unresponsive taste buds. Inhibition of PKC by bisindolylmaleimide I (0.15 microM) resulted in inhibition of the NC-01 response by approximately 75%, whereas the response to sucrose either increased or remained unchanged. These data suggest that activation of PKC is required for the transduction of synthetic sweeteners. To determine whether protein kinase A (PKA) is required for the transduction of sugars, sweet responses were examined in the presence of the membrane-permeant PKA inhibitor H-89 (10 and 19 microM). Surprisingly, H-89 did not decrease responses to either sucrose or NC-01. Instead, responses to both compounds were increased in the presence of the inhibitor. These data suggest that PKA is not required for the transduction of sugars, but may play a modulatory role in both pathways, such as adaptation of the response. We also examined whether Ca(2+)-calmodulin dependent cAMP phosphodiesterase (CaM-PDE) plays a role in sweet taste transduction, by examining responses to sucrose and synthetic sweeteners in the presence of the CaM-PDE inhibitor W-7 (100 microM). Inhibition resulted in an increase in the response to sucrose, whereas the response to NC-01 remained unchanged. These data suggest that the pathways for sugars and sweeteners are negatively coupled; the Ca(2+) that is released from intracellular stores during stimulation with synthetic sweeteners may inhibit the response to sucrose by activation of CaM-PDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Varkevisser
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA
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Abstract
The basic issues of gustatory neural coding are revisited. Questions addressed and conclusions drawn are: (1) what is the physical dimension across which gustatory neurons are sensitive, and upon which taste perceptions are based? The dimension that unites the various taste qualities is not physical, but physiological: a dimension of well-being, bounded by toxins at one extreme and nutrients at the other. (2) How broadly tuned are taste cells across the dimension? There are instances of specificity, but most mammalian taste cells respond to a range of qualities. (3) Are there basic taste qualities? Sweet, salty, sour, and bitter are widely accepted as basic tastes. Umami and starch tastes are considered basic by some. (4) Is taste topographically organized? There is some degree of physical separation among neurons most responsive to different taste qualities, but this does not appear to be sufficient precision to act as a meaningful coding mechanism. (5) Are there gustatory neuron types? Neurons, separated into categories according to their response profiles, respond as members of their category to the challenges of conditioned aversions and preferences, sodium deprivation, hyperglycemia, and receptor blockade, while cells from other categories react differently. This indicates the existence of functionally distinct types of taste cells. (6) Is the quality signal coded within the activity of the single most appropriate category of neurons, or is it carried by the pattern of response across neuronal categories? Both the breadth of responsiveness and the logical ambiguity of the signal in any one category of neurons argue that the taste message is carried by a pattern of activity across gustatory neuron types.
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Affiliation(s)
- T R Scott
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-2577, USA.
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38
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Ogura T, Kinnamon SC. IP(3)-Independent release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores: A novel mechanism for transduction of bitter stimuli. J Neurophysiol 1999; 82:2657-66. [PMID: 10561435 DOI: 10.1152/jn.1999.82.5.2657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of substances with different chemical structures elicits a bitter taste. Several different transduction mechanisms underlie detection of bitter tastants; however, these have been described in detail for only a few compounds. In addition, most studies have focused on mammalian taste cells, of which only a small subset is responsive to any particular bitter compound. In contrast, approximately 80% of the taste cells in the mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus, are bitter-responsive. In this study, we used Ca(2+) imaging and giga-seal whole cell recording to compare the transduction of dextromethorphan (DEX), a bitter antitussive, with transduction of the well-studied bitter compound denatonium. Bath perfusion of DEX (2.5 mM) increased the intracellular Ca(2+) level in most taste cells. The DEX-induced Ca(2+) increase was inhibited by thapsigargin, an inhibitor of Ca(2+) transport into intracellular stores, but not by U73122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C, or by ryanodine, an inhibitor of ryanodine-sensitive Ca(2+) stores. Increasing intracellular cAMP levels with a cell-permeant cAMP analogue and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor enhanced the DEX-induced Ca(2+) increase, which was inhibited partially by H89, a protein kinase A inhibitor. Electrophysiological measurements showed that DEX depolarized the membrane potential and inhibited voltage-gated Na(+) and K(+) currents in the presence of GDP-beta-S, a blocker of G-protein activation. DEX also inhibited voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. We suggest that DEX, like quinine, depolarizes taste cells by block of voltage-gated K channels, which are localized to the apical membrane in mudpuppy. In addition, DEX causes release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores by a phospholipase C-independent mechanism. We speculate that the membrane-permeant DEX may enter taste cells and interact directly with Ca(2+) stores. Comparing transduction of DEX with that of denatonium, both compounds release Ca(2+) from intracellular stores. However, denatonium requires activation of phospholipase C, and the mechanism results in a hyperpolarization rather than a depolarization of the membrane potential. These data support the hypothesis that single taste receptor cells can use multiple mechanisms for transducing the same bitter compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ogura
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
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39
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Rosenzweig S, Yan W, Dasso M, Spielman AI. Possible novel mechanism for bitter taste mediated through cGMP. J Neurophysiol 1999; 81:1661-5. [PMID: 10200202 DOI: 10.1152/jn.1999.81.4.1661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste is the least understood among sensory systems, and bitter taste mechanisms pose a special challenge because they are elicited by a large variety of compounds. We studied bitter taste signal transduction with the quench-flow method and monitored the rapid kinetics of the second messenger guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) production and degradation in mouse taste tissue. In response to the bitter stimulants, caffeine and theophylline but not strychnine or denatonium cGMP levels demonstrated a rapid and transient increase that peaked at 50 ms and gradually declined throughout the following 4.5 s. The theophylline- and caffeine-induced effect was rapid, transient, concentration dependent and gustatory tissue-specific. The effect could be partially suppressed in the presence of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (GC) inhibitor 10 microM ODQ and 30 microM methylene blue but not 50 microM LY 83583 and boosted by nitric oxide donors 25 microM NOR-3 or 100 microM sodium nitroprusside. The proposed mechanism for this novel cGMP-mediated bitter taste signal transduction is cGMP production partially by the soluble GC and caffeine-induced inhibition of one or several phosphodiesterases.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rosenzweig
- Basic Science Division, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, USA
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40
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Abstract
Taste receptor cells respond to gustatory stimuli using a complex arrangement of receptor molecules, signaling cascades, and ion channels. When stimulated, these cells produce action potentials that result in the release of neurotransmitter onto an afferent nerve fiber that in turn relays the identity and intensity of the gustatory stimuli to the brain. A variety of mechanisms are used in transducing the four primary tastes. Direct interaction of the stimuli with ion channels appears to be of particular importance in transducing stimuli reported as salty or sour, whereas the second messenger systems cyclic AMP and inositol trisphosphate are important in transducing bitter and sweet stimuli. In addition to the four basic tastes, specific mechanisms exist for the amino acid glutamate, which is sometimes termed the fifth primary taste, and for fatty acids, a so-called nonconventional taste stimulus. The emerging picture is that not only do individual taste qualities use more than one mechanism, but multiple pathways are available for individual tastants as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Herness
- College of Dentistry, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210-1241, USA.
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41
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Abstract
Membrane vesicles derived from external taste epithelia of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were incorporated into lipid bilayers on the tips of patch pipettes. Consistent with previous experiments (Teeter, J. H., J. G. Brand, and T. Kumazawa. 1990. Biophys. J. 58:253-259), micromolar (0.5-200 microM) concentrations of L-arginine (L-Arg), a potent taste stimulus for catfish, activated a nonselective cation conductance in some bilayers, which was antagonized by D-Arg. Two classes of L-Arg-gated receptor/channels were observed in reconstituted taste epithelial membranes: one with a unitary conductance of 40-60 pS, and the other with a conductance of 75-100 pS. A separate class of nonselective cation channels, with a conductance of 50-65 pS, was activated by high concentrations of L-proline (L-Pro) (0.1-3 mM), which is the range necessary to elicit neural responses in catfish taste fibers. The L-Pro-activated channels were not affected by either L- or D-Arg, but were blocked by millimolar concentrations of D-Pro. Conversely, neither L- nor D-Pro altered the activity of either class of L-Arg-activated channels, which were blocked by micromolar concentrations of D-Arg. These results are consistent with biochemical, neurophysiological, and behavioral studies indicating that taste responses of channel catfish to L-Arg are mediated by high-affinity receptors that are part of or closely coupled to nonselective cation channels directly gated by low concentrations of L-Arg, while responses to L-Pro are mediated by distinct, low-affinity receptors also associated with nonselective cation channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kumazawa
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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Spielman AI. Chemosensory function and dysfunction. CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ORAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORAL BIOLOGISTS 1998; 9:267-91. [PMID: 9715366 DOI: 10.1177/10454411980090030201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Taste and smell are fundamental sensory systems essential in nutrition and food selection, for the hedonic and sensory experience of food, for efficient metabolism, and, in general, for the maintenance of a good quality of life. The gustatory and olfactory systems demonstrate a diversity of transduction mechanisms, and during the last decade, considerable progress has been made toward our understanding of the basic mechanisms of taste and smell. Understanding normal chemosensory function helps clarify the molecular events that underlie taste and smell disorders. At least 2,000,000 Americans suffer from chemosensory disorders--a number that is likely to grow as the aging segment of the population increases. Smell disorders are more frequent than taste disturbances, due to the vulnerability and anatomical distinctiveness of the olfactory system, and because a decline in olfactory function is part of the normal aging process. Common gustatory and olfactory complaints are due to a number of medications, to upper respiratory infections, to nasal and paranasal sinus diseases, and to damage to peripheral nerves supplying taste and smell. Most chemosensory complaints have an identifiable cause. Although diagnosis of taste and smell disorders has improved considerably over the last two decades, treatment of these disorders is still limited to conditions with discernible and reversible causes. Future research is needed for a better understanding of chemosensory mechanisms, establishing improved diagnostic procedures, and disseminating knowledge on chemosensory disorders among practitioners and the general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- A I Spielman
- Basic Science Division, New York University College of Dentistry, New York 10010, USA
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43
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Naim M, Striem BJ, Tal M. Cellular signal transduction of sweetener-induced taste. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 1998; 42:211-43. [PMID: 9597728 DOI: 10.1016/s1043-4526(08)60096-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M Naim
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rehovot, Israel
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Abstract
Considerable progress has been made in the understanding of transduction mechanisms in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) over the last decade. Odorants pass through a mucus interface before binding to odorant receptors (ORs). The molecular structure of many ORs is now known. They belong to the large class of G protein-coupled receptors with seven transmembrane domains. Binding of an odorant to an OR triggers the activation of second messenger cascades. One second messenger pathway in particular has been extensively studied; the receptor activates, via the G protein Golf, an adenylyl cyclase, resulting in an increase in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), which elicits opening of cation channels directly gated by cAMP. Under physiological conditions, Ca2+ has the highest permeability through this channel, and the increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration activates a Cl- current which, owing to an elevated reversal potential for Cl-, depolarizes the olfactory neuron. The receptor potential finally leads to the generation of action potentials conveying the chemosensory information to the olfactory bulb. Although much less studied, other transduction pathways appear to exist, some of which seem to involve the odorant-induced formation of inositol polyphosphates as well as Ca2+ and/or inositol polyphosphate -activated cation channels. In addition, there is evidence for odorant-modulated K+ and Cl- conductances. Finally, in some species, ORNs can be inhibited by certain odorants. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the biophysical and electrophysiological evidence regarding the transduction processes as well as subsequent signal processing and spike generation in ORNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Schild
- Physiologisches Institut, Universität Göttingen, Germany
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Furue H, Yoshii K. In situ tight-seal recordings of taste substance-elicited action currents and voltage-gated Ba currents from single taste bud cells in the peeled epithelium of mouse tongue. Brain Res 1997; 776:133-9. [PMID: 9439805 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(97)00974-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the taste responses of single taste-bud cells (TBCs) in mice by applying stimuli only on receptor membranes acclimated to deionized water under tight-seal cell-attached voltage-clamp conditions, while their basolateral membranes were irrigated with a physiological saline solution. For this irrigation, we developed a new method: a peeled-tongue epithelium with TBCs mounted on a recording chamber where the peeled epithelium separated the irrigating solutions for each membrane as it separated in situ. Although no quinine-elicited action potentials had been reported, TBCs elicited a long-lasting train of biphasic currents derived from the action potentials in response to 10 mM quinine, in addition to responses to 10 mM HCl, or 200 mM NaCl dissolved in deionized water. These results indicate that quinine as well as HCl and NaCl depolarizes TBCs and generate action potentials. Under whole-cell recording conditions, TBCs generated action potentials, and voltage-gated currents such as LVA and HVA Ca currents, TTX-sensitive Na currents, and TEA/4-AP-sensitive K currents on depolarization. These voltage-gated channels were shown to exist predominantly on the basolateral membranes. We discussed the receptor mechanisms and the role of taste substance-elicited action potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Furue
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Science, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan
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Liscia A, Solari P, Majone R, Tomassini Barbarossa I, Crnjar R. Taste reception mechanisms in the blowfly: evidence of amiloride-sensitive and insensitive receptor sites. Physiol Behav 1997; 62:875-9. [PMID: 9284511 DOI: 10.1016/s0031-9384(97)00257-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The role of amiloride in the labellar responses to various taste stimuli in the blowfly Protophormia terraenovae was studied with the aim of ascertaining whether amiloride-sensitive cation conductances are present in the chemosensory systems of insects. Results include that: 1) amiloride has no effect on the "salt" cell response to any stimulus; 2) amiloride decreases the "sugar" cell response to fructose, but does not affect that to sucrose; 3) the effects of amiloride on the responses of the "water" cell and the "fifth" cell are less clearly definable, due to the probable superimposition of osmotic mechanisms in the former and the poorly known response modalities of the water. In conclusion, amiloride-sensitive receptor sites seem to exist also in insects. However, unlike most vertebrates investigated, they are principally located in the sugar receptor cell, not on the salt cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Liscia
- Dipartimento di Biologia Sperimentale, Università di Cagliari, Italy
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48
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Abstract
Bitter substances are a structurally diverse group of compounds that appear to act via several transduction mechanisms. The bitter-tasting denatonium ion has been proposed to act via two different G-protein-regulated pathways, one involving inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate and raised intracellular calcium levels, the other involving phosphodiesterase and membrane depolarization via a cyclic nucleotide-suppressible cation channel. The aim of the present study was to examine these transduction mechanisms in taste cells of the mudpuppy Necturus maculosus by calcium-imaging and whole-cell recording. Denatonium benzoate increased intracellular calcium levels and induced an outward current independently of extracellular calcium. The denatonium-induced increase in intracellular calcium was inhibited by U73122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C, and by thapsigargin, an inhibitor of calcium transport into intracellular stores. The denatonium-induced outward current was blocked by GDP-beta-S, a blocker of G-protein activation. Neither resting nor denatonium-induced intracellular calcium levels were affected by inhibition of phosphodiesterase (with IBMX) or adenylate cyclase (with SQ22536) or by raising intracellular cyclic nucleotides directly (with cell permeant analogs). Our results support the hypothesis that denatonium is transduced via a G-protein cascade involving phospholipase C, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, and raised intracellular calcium levels. Our results do not support the hypothesis that denatonium is transduced via phosphodiesterase and cAMP.
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49
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Herness MS, Sun XD, Chen Y. cAMP and forskolin inhibit potassium currents in rat taste receptor cells by different mechanisms. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY 1997; 272:C2005-18. [PMID: 9227430 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.1997.272.6.c2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In gustatory transduction, adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) has been suggested to close potassium channels when elevated by sweet stimuli or to open cAMP-gated cation channels when depressed by bitter stimuli. These experiments examine the effect of cAMP on whole cell currents from posterior taste receptor cells with standard patch-clamp techniques. Elevating cytosolic cAMP by pipette administration, membrane-permeant analogs [8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP (CPT-cAMP) and dibutyryl-cAMP], or by phosphodiesterase inhibition [3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX)] produced poorly reversible inhibitions of outward potassium currents by up to 33%. Unexpectedly, middle to high concentrations of forskolin (> 5 microM) profoundly and reversibly inhibited these currents (95%) with greatly accelerated inactivation kinetics. 1,9-Dideoxyforskolin, an ineffective activator of adenylate cyclase, was similarly potent. Kinase inhibitors effectively blocked the effects of cAMP elevations produced by IBMX or CPT-cAMP but did not block these forskolin actions. However, at low concentrations (5 microM), forskolin reduced potassium currents in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Collectively, these data suggest that cAMP produces a phosphorylation-dependent inhibition of outward potassium currents but that forskolin's actions are independent of cAMP or phosphorylation except at low concentration. cAMP was also effective in altering the waveform of the gustatory action potential, implying it may modify transmission of gustatory information to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Herness
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Center for Medical Education, Ball State University, Muncie 47306, USA
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Gilbertson TA, Fontenot DT, Liu L, Zhang H, Monroe WT. Fatty acid modulation of K+ channels in taste receptor cells: gustatory cues for dietary fat. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY 1997; 272:C1203-10. [PMID: 9142845 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.1997.272.4.c1203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In an attempt to determine the chemosensory cues, if any, provided by fats in the oral cavity, we have performed patch-clamp recordings on isolated rat taste receptor cells during application of free fatty acids. Cis-polyunsaturated fatty acids, when applied extracellularly, inhibit delayed-rectifying K+ channels. In a subset of cells, these fatty acids also enhance inwardly rectifying K+ currents. Saturated, monounsaturated, and trans-polyunsaturated fatty acids have no significant effect on K+ currents. These effects do not involve activation of G protein-mediated pathways, including protein kinase C and protein kinase A, lipoxygenase pathways, cyclooxygenase pathways, or cytochrome P-450 pathways, consistent with direct effects on these ion channels or closely associated proteins. The net effect of fatty acids is to prolong stimulus-induced depolarizations of taste receptor cells, and we propose the effects on K+ channels represent the mechanism by which fats are detected by receptor cells in the oral cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Gilbertson
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70808-4124, USA
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