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Kawabata Y, Takai S, Sanematsu K, Yoshida R, Kawabata F, Shigemura N. The Antiarrhythmic Drug Flecainide Enhances Aversion to HCl in Mice. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0048-23.2023. [PMID: 37696662 PMCID: PMC10515741 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0048-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced taste disorders reduce quality of life, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which drugs induce taste disturbances. In this study, we investigated the short-term and long-term effects of the antiarrhythmic drug flecainide, which is known to cause taste dysfunction. Analyses of behavioral responses (licking tests) revealed that mice given a single intraperitoneal injection of flecainide exhibited a significant reduction in preference for a sour tastant (HCl) but not for other taste solutions (NaCl, quinine, sucrose, KCl and monopotassium glutamate) when compared with controls. Mice administered a single dose of flecainide also had significantly higher taste nerve responses to HCl but not to other taste solutions. Compared with controls, mice administered flecainide once-daily for 30 d showed a reduced preference for HCl without any changes in the behavioral responses to other taste solutions. The electrophysiological experiments using HEK293T cells transiently expressing otopetrin-1 (Otop1; the mouse sour taste receptor) showed that flecainide did not alter the responses to HCl. Taken together, our results suggest that flecainide specifically enhances the response to HCl in mice during short-term and long-term administration. Although further studies will be needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms, these findings provide new insights into the pathophysiology of drug-induced taste disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Kawabata
- Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Shingo Takai
- Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Keisuke Sanematsu
- Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Research and Development Center for Five-Sense Devices, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
- Oral Health/Brain Health/Total Health Research Center, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Yoshida
- Department of Oral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8525, Japan
| | - Fuminori Kawabata
- Physiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan
| | - Noriatsu Shigemura
- Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Research and Development Center for Five-Sense Devices, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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Dutta Banik D, Medler KF. Defining the role of TRPM4 in broadly responsive taste receptor cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1148995. [PMID: 37032837 PMCID: PMC10073513 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1148995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral taste receptor cells use multiple signaling pathways to transduce taste stimuli into output signals that are sent to the brain. We have previously identified a subpopulation of Type III taste cells that are broadly responsive (BR) and respond to multiple taste stimuli including bitter, sweet, umami, and sour. These BR cells use a PLCβ3/IP3R1 signaling pathway to detect bitter, sweet, and umami stimuli and use a separate pathway to detect sour. Currently, the downstream targets of the PLCβ3 signaling pathway are unknown. Here we identify TRPM4, a monovalent selective TRP channel, as an important downstream component in this signaling pathway. Using live cell imaging on isolated taste receptor cells from mice, we show that inhibition of TRPM4 abolished the taste-evoked sodium responses and significantly reduced the taste-evoked calcium responses in BR cells. Since BR cells are a subpopulation of Type III taste cells, they have conventional chemical synapses that require the activation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) to cause neurotransmitter release. We found that TRPM4-dependent membrane depolarization selectively activates L-type VGCCs in these cells. The calcium influx through L-type VGCCs also generates a calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) via ryanodine receptors that enhances TRPM4 activity. Together these signaling events amplify the initial taste response to generate an appropriate output signal.
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Cherkashin AP, Rogachevskaja OA, Kabanova NV, Kotova PD, Bystrova MF, Kolesnikov SS. Taste Cells of the Type III Employ CASR to Maintain Steady Serotonin Exocytosis at Variable Ca 2+ in the Extracellular Medium. Cells 2022; 11:cells11081369. [PMID: 35456048 PMCID: PMC9030112 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Type III taste cells are the only taste bud cells which express voltage-gated (VG) Ca2+ channels and employ Ca2+-dependent exocytosis to release neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin. The taste bud is a tightly packed cell population, wherein extracellular Ca2+ is expected to fluctuate markedly due to the electrical activity of taste cells. It is currently unclear whether the Ca2+ entry-driven synapse in type III cells could be reliable enough at unsteady extracellular Ca2. Here we assayed depolarization-induced Ca2+ signals and associated serotonin release in isolated type III cells at varied extracellular Ca2+. It turned out that the same depolarizing stimulus elicited invariant Ca2+ signals in type III cells irrespective of bath Ca2+ varied within 0.5–5 mM. The serotonin release from type III cells was assayed with the biosensor approach by using HEK-293 cells co-expressing the recombinant 5-HT4 receptor and genetically encoded cAMP sensor Pink Flamindo. Consistently with the weak Ca2+ dependence of intracellular Ca2+ transients produced by VG Ca2+ entry, depolarization-triggered serotonin secretion varied negligibly with bath Ca2+. The evidence implicated the extracellular Ca2+-sensing receptor in mediating the negative feedback mechanism that regulates VG Ca2+ entry and levels off serotonin release in type III cells at deviating Ca2+ in the extracellular medium.
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Wang W, Lu D, Xu Q, Jin Y, Pang G, Liu Y. Remodeling of the ryanodine receptor isoform 1 channel regulates the sweet and umami taste perception of Rattus norvegicus. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2022.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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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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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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Dutta Banik D, Benfey ED, Martin LE, Kay KE, Loney GC, Nelson AR, Ahart ZC, Kemp BT, Kemp BR, Torregrossa AM, Medler KF. A subset of broadly responsive Type III taste cells contribute to the detection of bitter, sweet and umami stimuli. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008925. [PMID: 32790785 PMCID: PMC7425866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste receptor cells use multiple signaling pathways to detect chemicals in potential food items. These cells are functionally grouped into different types: Type I cells act as support cells and have glial-like properties; Type II cells detect bitter, sweet, and umami taste stimuli; and Type III cells detect sour and salty stimuli. We have identified a new population of taste cells that are broadly tuned to multiple taste stimuli including bitter, sweet, sour, and umami. The goal of this study was to characterize these broadly responsive (BR) taste cells. We used an IP3R3-KO mouse (does not release calcium (Ca2+) from internal stores in Type II cells when stimulated with bitter, sweet, or umami stimuli) to characterize the BR cells without any potentially confounding input from Type II cells. Using live cell Ca2+ imaging in isolated taste cells from the IP3R3-KO mouse, we found that BR cells are a subset of Type III cells that respond to sour stimuli but also use a PLCβ signaling pathway to respond to bitter, sweet, and umami stimuli. Unlike Type II cells, individual BR cells are broadly tuned and respond to multiple stimuli across different taste modalities. Live cell imaging in a PLCβ3-KO mouse confirmed that BR cells use this signaling pathway to respond to bitter, sweet, and umami stimuli. Short term behavioral assays revealed that BR cells make significant contributions to taste driven behaviors and found that loss of either PLCβ3 in BR cells or IP3R3 in Type II cells caused similar behavioral deficits to bitter, sweet, and umami stimuli. Analysis of c-Fos activity in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) also demonstrated that functional Type II and BR cells are required for normal stimulus induced expression. We use our taste system to decide if we are going to consume or reject a potential food item. This is critical for survival, as we need energy to live but also need to avoid potentially toxic compounds. Therefore, it is important to understand how the taste cells in our mouth detect the chemicals in food and send a message to our brain. Signals from the taste cells form a code that conveys information about the nature of the potential food item to the brain. How this taste coding works is not well understood. Currently, it is thought that taste cells are primarily selective for each taste stimuli and only detect either bitter, sweet, sour, salt, or umami (amino acids) compounds. Our study describes a new population of taste cells that can detect multiple types of stimuli, including chemicals from different taste qualities. Thus, taste cells can be either selective or generally responsive to stimuli which is similar to the cells in the brain that process taste information. The presence of these broadly responsive taste cells provides new insight into how taste information is sent to the brain for processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debarghya Dutta Banik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Eric D. Benfey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Laura E. Martin
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Kristen E. Kay
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Gregory C. Loney
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Amy R. Nelson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Zachary C. Ahart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Barrett T. Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Bailey R. Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Ann-Marie Torregrossa
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Center for Ingestive Behavior Research, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Kathryn F. Medler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Center for Ingestive Behavior Research, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Sensing Senses: Optical Biosensors to Study Gustation. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20071811. [PMID: 32218129 PMCID: PMC7180777 DOI: 10.3390/s20071811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The five basic taste modalities, sweet, bitter, umami, salty and sour induce changes of Ca2+ levels, pH and/or membrane potential in taste cells of the tongue and/or in neurons that convey and decode gustatory signals to the brain. Optical biosensors, which can be either synthetic dyes or genetically encoded proteins whose fluorescence spectra depend on levels of Ca2+, pH or membrane potential, have been used in primary cells/tissues or in recombinant systems to study taste-related intra- and intercellular signaling mechanisms or to discover new ligands. Taste-evoked responses were measured by microscopy achieving high spatial and temporal resolution, while plate readers were employed for higher throughput screening. Here, these approaches making use of fluorescent optical biosensors to investigate specific taste-related questions or to screen new agonists/antagonists for the different taste modalities were reviewed systematically. Furthermore, in the context of recent developments in genetically encoded sensors, 3D cultures and imaging technologies, we propose new feasible approaches for studying taste physiology and for compound screening.
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Ahart ZC, Martin LE, Kemp BR, Banik DD, Roberts SG, Torregrossa AM, Medler KF. Differential Effects of Diet and Weight on Taste Responses in Diet-Induced Obese Mice. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2020; 28:284-292. [PMID: 31891242 PMCID: PMC6981059 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies have reported that individuals with obesity have reduced taste perception, but the relationship between obesity and taste is poorly understood. Earlier work has demonstrated that diet-induced obesity directly impairs taste. Currently, it is not clear whether these changes to taste are due to obesity or to the high-fat diet exposure. The goal of the current study was to determine whether diet or excess weight is responsible for the taste deficits induced by diet-induced obesity. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were placed on either high-fat or standard chow in the presence or absence of captopril. Mice on captopril did not gain weight when exposed to a high-fat diet. Changes in the responses to different taste stimuli were evaluated using live cell imaging, brief-access licking, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Diet and weight gain each affected taste responses, but their effects varied by stimulus. Two key signaling proteins, α-gustducin and phospholipase Cβ2, were significantly reduced in the mice on the high-fat diet with and without weight gain, identifying a potential mechanism for the reduced taste responsiveness to some stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that, for some stimuli, diet alone can cause taste deficits, even without the onset of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary C. Ahart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Laura E. Martin
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Bailey R. Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Debarghya Dutta Banik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Stefan G.E. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Ann-Marie Torregrossa
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Kathryn F Medler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Gao Y, Dutta Banik D, Muna MM, Roberts SG, Medler KF. The WT1-BASP1 complex is required to maintain the differentiated state of taste receptor cells. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:2/3/e201800287. [PMID: 31167803 PMCID: PMC6555901 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201800287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The WT1/BASP1 complex is important to maintain taste receptor cells in their terminally differentiated state. WT1 is a transcriptional activator that controls the boundary between multipotency and differentiation. The transcriptional cofactor BASP1 binds to WT1, forming a transcriptional repressor complex that drives differentiation in cultured cells; however, this proposed mechanism has not been demonstrated in vivo. We used the peripheral taste system as a model to determine how BASP1 regulates the function of WT1. During development, WT1 is highly expressed in the developing taste cells while BASP1 is absent. By the end of development, BASP1 and WT1 are co-expressed in taste cells, where they both occupy the promoter of WT1 target genes. Using a conditional BASP1 mouse, we demonstrate that BASP1 is critical to maintain the differentiated state of adult taste cells and that loss of BASP1 expression significantly alters the composition and function of these cells. This includes the de-repression of WT1-dependent target genes from the Wnt and Shh pathways that are normally only transcriptionally activated by WT1 in the undifferentiated taste cells. Our results uncover a central role for the WT1–BASP1 complex in maintaining cell differentiation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankun Gao
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | - Mutia M Muna
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Stefan Ge Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA .,School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kathryn F Medler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Shandilya J, Gao Y, Nayak TK, Roberts SGE, Medler KF. AP1 transcription factors are required to maintain the peripheral taste system. Cell Death Dis 2016; 7:e2433. [PMID: 27787515 PMCID: PMC5133999 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2016.343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The sense of taste is used by organisms to achieve the optimal nutritional requirement and avoid potentially toxic compounds. In the oral cavity, taste receptor cells are grouped together in taste buds that are present in specialized taste papillae in the tongue. Taste receptor cells are the cells that detect chemicals in potential food items and transmit that information to gustatory nerves that convey the taste information to the brain. As taste cells are in contact with the external environment, they can be damaged and are routinely replaced throughout an organism's lifetime to maintain functionality. However, this taste cell turnover loses efficiency over time resulting in a reduction in taste ability. Currently, very little is known about the mechanisms that regulate the renewal and maintenance of taste cells. We therefore performed RNA-sequencing analysis on isolated taste cells from 2 and 6-month-old mice to determine how alterations in the taste cell-transcriptome regulate taste cell maintenance and function in adults. We found that the activator protein-1 (AP1) transcription factors (c-Fos, Fosb and c-Jun) and genes associated with this pathway were significantly downregulated in taste cells by 6 months and further declined at 12 months. We generated conditional c-Fos-knockout mice to target K14-expressing cells, including differentiating taste cells. c-Fos deletion caused a severe perturbation in taste bud structure and resulted in a significant reduction in the taste bud size. c-Fos deletion also affected taste cell turnover as evident by a decrease in proliferative marker, and upregulation of the apoptotic marker cleaved-PARP. Thus, AP1 factors are important regulators of adult taste cell renewal and their downregulation negatively impacts taste maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayasha Shandilya
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Yankun Gao
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Tapan K Nayak
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
| | - Stefan G E Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Kathryn F Medler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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Medler KF. Calcium signaling in taste cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2014; 1853:2025-32. [PMID: 25450977 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2014.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The sense of taste is a common ability shared by all organisms and is used to detect nutrients as well as potentially harmful compounds. Thus taste is critical to survival. Despite its importance, surprisingly little is known about the mechanisms generating and regulating responses to taste stimuli. All taste responses depend on calcium signals to generate appropriate responses which are relayed to the brain. Some taste cells have conventional synapses and rely on calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels. Other taste cells lack these synapses and depend on calcium release to formulate an output signal through a hemichannel. Beyond establishing these characteristics, few studies have focused on understanding how these calcium signals are formed. We identified multiple calcium clearance mechanisms that regulate calcium levels in taste cells as well as a calcium influx that contributes to maintaining appropriate calcium homeostasis in these cells. Multiple factors regulate the evoked taste signals with varying roles in different cell populations. Clearly, calcium signaling is a dynamic process in taste cells and is more complex than has previously been appreciated. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 13th European Symposium on Calcium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn F Medler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
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