Search

Sour taste, which is evoked by low pH, is one of the original four fundamental taste qualities, recognized as a distinct taste sensation for centuries, and universally aversive across diverse species. It is generally assumed to have evolved for detection of acids in unripe fruit and spoiled food. But despite decades of study, only recently have the receptor, the neurotransmitter, and the circuits for sour taste been identified. In this review, we describe studies leading up to the identification of the sour receptor as OTOP1, an ion channel that is selectively permeable to protons. We also describe advances in our understanding of how information is transmitted from the taste receptor cells to gustatory neurons, leading to behavioral aversion to acids.

Intake of sugars, especially the fructose component, is strongly associated with the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome, but the relative role of taste versus metabolism in driving preference, intake, and metabolic outcome is not fully understood. We aimed to evaluate the preference for sweet substances and the tendency to develop metabolic syndrome in response to these sugars in mice lacking functional taste signaling [P2X2 (P2X purinoreceptor 2)/P2X3 (P2X purinoreceptor 3) double knockout mice (DKO)] and mice unable to metabolize fructose (fructokinase knockout mice). Of interest, our data indicate that despite their inability to taste sweetness, P2X2/3 DKO mice still prefer caloric sugars (including fructose and glucose) to water in long-term testing, although with diminished preference compared with control mice. Despite reduced intake of caloric sugars by P2X2/3 DKO animals, the DKO mice still show increased levels of the sugar-dependent hormone FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21) in plasma and liver. Despite lower sugar intake, taste-blind mice develop severe features of metabolic syndrome due to reduced sensitivity to leptin, reduced ability to mobilize and oxidize fats, and increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis. In contrast to P2X2/3 DKO and wild-type mice, fructokinase knockout mice, which cannot metabolize fructose and are protected against fructose-induced metabolic syndrome, demonstrate reduced preference and intake for all fructose-containing sugars tested but not for glucose or artificial sweeteners. Based on these observations, we conclude that sugar can induce metabolic syndrome in mice independently of its sweet properties. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that the metabolism of fructose is necessary for sugar to drive intake and preference in mice.

This review summarizes our understanding of ATP signaling in taste and describes new directions for research. ATP meets all requisite criteria to be considered a neurotransmitter: (1) presence in taste cells, as in all cells; (2) release upon appropriate taste stimulation; (3) binding to cognate purinergic receptors P2X2 and P2X3 on gustatory afferent neurons, and (4) after release, enzymatic degradation to adenosine and other nucleotides by the ectonucleotidase, NTPDase2, expressed on the Type I, glial-like cells in the taste bud. Importantly, double knockout of P2X2 and P2X3 or pharmacological inhibition of P2X3 abolishes transmission of all taste qualities. In Type II taste cells (those that respond to sweet, bitter, or umami stimuli), ATP is released non-vesicularly by a large conductance ion channel composed of CALHM1 and CALHM3, which form a so-called channel synapse at areas of contact with afferent taste nerve fibers. Although ATP release has been detected only from Type II cells, it is also required for the transmission of salty and sour stimuli, which are mediated primarily by the Type III taste cells. The source of the ATP required for Type III cell signaling to afferent fibers is still unclear and is a focus for future experiments. The ionotropic purinergic receptor, P2X3, is widely expressed on many sensory afferents and has been a therapeutic target for treating chronic cough and pain. However, its requirement for taste signaling has complicated efforts at treatment since patients given P2X3 antagonists report substantial disturbances of taste and become non-compliant.

Taste buds consist of specialized epithelial cells which detect particular tastants and synapse onto the afferent taste nerve innervating the endorgan. The nature of the neurotransmitter released by taste cells onto the nerve fiber was enigmatic early in this century although neurotransmitters for other sensory receptor cell types, e.g. hair cells, photoreceptors, was known for at least a decade. A 1999 paper by Burnstock and co-workers (Bo et al., 1999) showing the presence of P2X receptors on the afferent nerves served as a springboard for research that ultimately led to the discovery of ATP as the crucial neurotransmitter in the taste system (Finger et al., 2005). Subsequent work showed that a subpopulation of taste cells utilize a unique release channel, CALHM1/3, to release ATP in a voltage-dependent manner. Despite these advances, several aspects of purinergic transmission in this system remain to be elucidated.

In taste buds, Type I cells represent the majority of cells (50-60%) and primarily have a glial-like function in taste buds. However, recent studies suggest that they have additional sensory and signaling functions including amiloride-sensitive salt transduction, oxytocin modulation of taste, and substance P mediated GABA release. Nonetheless, the overall function of Type I cells in transduction and signaling remains unclear, primarily because of the lack of a reliable reporter for this cell type. GAD65 expression is specific to Type I taste cells and GAD65 has been used as a Cre driver to study Type I cells in salt taste transduction. To test the specificity of transgene-driven expression, we crossed GAD65Cre mice with floxed tdTomato and Channelrhodopsin (ChR2) lines and examined the progeny with immunochemistry, chorda tympani recording, and calcium imaging. We report that while many tdTomato+ taste cells express NTPDase2, a specific marker of Type I cells, we see expression of tdTomato in both Gustducin and SNAP25 positive taste cells. We also see ChR2 in cells just outside the fungiform taste buds. Chorda tympani recordings in the GAD65Cre/ChR2 mice show large responses to blue light, larger than any response to standard taste stimuli. Further, several isolated tdTomato positive taste cells responded to KCl depolarization with increases in intracellular calcium, indicating the presence of voltage-gated calcium channels. Taken together, these data suggest that GAD65Cre mice drive expression in multiple taste cell types and thus cannot be considered a reliable reporter of Type I cell function.

AIM: We investigated potential neuron types that code sugar information and how sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) and T1Rs are involved. METHODS: Whole-nerve recordings in the chorda tympani (CT) and the glossopharyngeal (GL) nerves and single-fibre recordings in the CT were performed in T1R3-KO and wild-type (WT) mice. Behavioural response measurements were conducted in T1R3-KO mice using phlorizin (Phl), a competitive inhibitor of SGLTs. RESULTS: Results indicated that significant enhancement occurred in responses to sucrose and glucose (Glc) by adding 10 mmol/L NaCl but not in responses to KCl, monopotassium glutamate, citric acid, quinine sulphate, SC45647(SC) or polycose in both CT and GL nerves. These enhancements were abolished by lingual application of Phl. In single-fibre recording, fibres showing maximal response to sucrose could be classified according to responses to SC and Glc with or without 10 mmol/L NaCl in the CT of WT mice, namely, Phl-insensitive type, Phl-sensitive Glc-type and Mixed (Glc and SC responding)-type fibres. In T1R3-KO mice, Phl-insensitive-type fibres disappeared. Results from behavioural experiments showed that the number of licks and amount of intake for Glc with or without 10 mmol/L NaCl were significantly suppressed by Phl. CONCLUSION: We found evidence for the contribution of SGLTs in sugar sensing in taste cells of mouse tongue. Moreover, we found T1R-dependent (Phl-insensitive) type, Glc-type and Mixed (SGLTs and T1Rs)-type fibres. SGLT1 may be involved in the latter two types and may play important roles in the glucose-specific cephalic phase of digestion and palatable food intake.

Studies have suggested that communication between taste cells shapes the gustatory signal before transmission to the brain. To further explore the possibility of intragemmal signal modulation, we adopted an optogenetic approach to stimulate sour-sensitive (Type III) taste cells using mice expressing Cre recombinase under a specific Type III cell promoter, Pkd2l1 (polycystic kidney disease-2-like 1), crossed with mice expressing Cre-dependent channelrhodopsin (ChR2). The application of blue light onto the tongue allowed for the specific stimulation of Type III cells and circumvented the nonspecific effects of chemical stimulation. To understand whether taste modality information is preprocessed in the taste bud before transmission to the sensory nerves, we recorded chorda tympani nerve activity during light and/or chemical tastant application to the tongue. To assess intragemmal modulation, we compared nerve responses to various tastants with or without concurrent light-induced activation of the Type III cells. Our results show that light significantly decreased taste responses to sweet, bitter, salty, and acidic stimuli. On the contrary, the light response was not consistently affected by sweet or bitter stimuli, suggesting that activation of Type II cells does not affect nerve responses to stimuli that activate Type III cells.

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disorder in which many pathways contribute to end-organ disease. Small proline-rich proteins (SPRR) are polypeptides that have recently been shown to contribute to epithelial biomechanical properties relevant in T-helper type 2 inflammation. There is evidence that genetic polymorphism in SPRR genes may predict the development of asthma in children with atopy and, correlatively, that expression of SPRRs is increased under allergic conditions, which leads to epithelial barrier dysfunction in atopic disease. Methods RNAs from uncinate tissue specimens from patients with CRS and control subjects were compared by RNA sequencing by using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (n = 4 each), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (n = 15). A separate cohort of archived sinus tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry (n = 19). Results A statistically significant increase of SPRR expression in CRS sinus tissue was identified that was not a result of atopic presence. SPRR1 and SPRR2A expressions were markedly increased in patients with CRS (p < 0.01) on RNA sequencing, with confirmation by using real-time PCR. Immunohistochemistry of archived surgical samples demonstrated staining of SPRR proteins within squamous epithelium of both groups. Pathway analysis indicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha as a master regulator of the SPRR gene products. Conclusion Expression of SPRR1 and of SPRR2A is increased in mucosal samples from patients with CRS and appeared as a downstream result of TNF alpha modulation, which possibly resulted in epithelial barrier dysfunction.

Activation of Type III cells in mammalian taste buds is implicated in the transduction of acids (sour) and salty stimuli. Several lines of evidence suggest that function of Type III cells in the anterior taste fields may differ from that of Type III cells in posterior taste fields. Underlying anatomy to support this observation is, however, scant. Most existing immunohistochemical data characterizing this cell type focus on circumvallate taste buds in the posterior tongue. Equivalent data from anterior taste fields—fungiform papillae and soft palate—are lacking. Here, we compare Type III cells in four taste fields: fungiform, soft palate, circumvallate, and foliate in terms of reactivity to four canonical markers of Type III cells: polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 (PKD2L1), synaptosomal associated protein 25 (SNAP25), serotonin (5-HT), and glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67). Our findings indicate that while PKD2L1, 5-HT, and SNAP25 are highly coincident in posterior taste fields, they diverge in anterior taste fields. In particular, a subset of taste cells expresses PKD2L1 without the synaptic markers, and a subset of SNAP25 cells lacks expression of PKD2L1. In posterior taste fields, GAD67-positive cells are a subset of PKD2L1 expressing taste cells, but anterior taste fields also contain a significant population of GAD67-only expressing cells. These differences in expression patterns may underlie the observed functional differences between anterior and posterior taste fields.

The Skn-1a transcription factor (Pou2f3) is required for Type II taste cell differentiation in taste buds. Taste buds in Skn-1a-/- mice lack Type II taste cells but have a concomitant expansion of Type III cells, providing an ideal model to determine the relative role of taste cell types in response specificity. We confirmed that chorda tympani responses to sweet, bitter, and umami stimuli were greatly reduced in the knock-outs (KOs) compared with wild-type (WT) littermates. Skn-1a-/- mice also had reductions to NaCl that were partially amiloride-insensitive, suggesting that both Type II and Type III cells contribute to amiloride-insensitive salt detection in anterior tongue. We also confirmed that responses to sour stimuli are equivalent in the KOs, despite the large increase in the number of Type III taste cells. To examine their innervation, we crossed the Htr3a-GFP (5-HT3A-GFP) reporter mouse with the Skn-1a-/- mice and examined geniculate ganglion neurons for GFP expression and responses to 5-HT. We found no change in the number of 5-HT3A-expressing neurons with KO of Skn-1a. Calcium imaging showed that only 5-HT3A-expressing neurons respond to exogenous 5-HT, while most neurons respond to ATP, similar to WT mice. Interestingly, despite loss of all Type II cells, the P2X3 antagonist AF353 blocked all chorda tympani responses. These data collectively raise questions pertaining the source of ATP signaling in the absence of Type II taste cells and whether the additional Type III cells are innervated by fibers that would have normally innervated Type II cells. Significance Statement Despite numerous studies, the role of specific taste cell types in taste responsivity and their connectivity to gustatory nerves is incompletely understood. Here we show that in Skn-1a knock-out (KO) mice where only Type I and III cells exist within taste buds, the number of gustatory ganglion cells innervating Type III cells remains unchanged and these neurons exhibit normal responses to gustatory neurotransmitters. Further, we show that although ATP release from taste buds is undetectable in Skn-1a KO mice, ATP is still required to drive gustatory neural output via the chorda tympani nerve. The source of the required ATP is unclear and begs further study.

Type III taste cells in mammalian taste buds are implicated in the detection and communication of sour and some salty stimuli, as well as carbonation and water. With this variety of proposed roles, it is unclear what information activated type III cells are communicating to the CNS. To better elucidate the role of type III cells in the taste bud, we use a type III cell-specific protein (polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1) to drive Cre-dependent expression of light-sensitive channelrhodopsin (Ai32) in mouse type III taste cells. Activation of these cells with light produces a taste nerve response in both the chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerves, and elicits a slight but significant aversion in two-bottle preference tests in both male and female mice. Unlike previous reports (Zocchi et al., 2017), our mice did not react to blue light stimulation with sustained drinking responses. These data suggest that type III cells are capable of communicating the presence of aversive stimuli in the oral cavity, which is in line with their responsiveness to sour and high concentrations of salt stimuli.

In taste buds, glutamate plays a double role as a gustatory stimulus and neuromodulator. The detection of glutamate as a tastant involves several G protein-coupled receptors, including the heterodimer taste receptor type 1, member 1 and 3 as well as metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR4). Both receptor types participate in the detection of glutamate as shown with knockout animals and selective antagonists. At the basal part of taste buds, ionotropic glutamate receptors [N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA] are expressed and participate in the modulation of the taste signal before its transmission to the brain. Evidence suggests that glutamate has an efferent function on taste cells and modulates the release of other neurotransmitters such as serotonin and ATP. This short article reviews the recent developments in the field with regard to glutamate receptors involved in both functions as well as the influence of glutamate on the taste signal.

Among the 5 taste qualities, salt is the least understood. The receptors, their expression pattern in taste cells, and the transduction mechanisms for salt taste are still unclear. Previous studies have suggested that low concentrations of NaCl are detected by the amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC), which in other systems requires assembly of 3 homologous subunits (α, β, and γ) to form a functional channel. However, a new study from Lossow and colleagues, published in this issue of Chemical Senses, challenges that hypothesis by examining expression levels of the 3 ENaC subunits in individual taste cells using gene-targeted mice in combination with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Results show a lack of colocalization of ENaC subunits in taste cells as well as expression of subunits in taste cells that show no amiloride sensitivity. These new results question the molecular identity of the amiloride-sensitive Na+ conductance in taste cells.

Summary The liver is an important integrator of nutrient metabolism, yet no liver-derived factors regulating nutrient preference or carbohydrate appetite have been identified. Here we show that the liver regulates carbohydrate intake through production of the hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), which markedly suppresses consumption of simple sugars, but not complex carbohydrates, proteins, or lipids. Genetic loss of FGF21 in mice increases sucrose consumption, whereas acute administration or overexpression of FGF21 suppresses the intake of both sugar and non-caloric sweeteners. FGF21 does not affect chorda tympani nerve responses to sweet tastants, instead reducing sweet-seeking behavior and meal size via neurons in the hypothalamus. This liver-to-brain hormonal axis likely represents a negative feedback loop as hepatic FGF21 production is elevated by sucrose ingestion. We conclude that the liver functions to regulate macronutrient-specific intake by producing an endocrine satiety signal that acts centrally to suppress the intake of "sweets."

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is required for the transmission of all taste qualities from taste cells to afferent nerve fibers. ATP is released from Type II taste cells by a nonvesicular mechanism and activates purinergic receptors containing P2X2 and P2X3 on nerve fibers. Several ATP release channels are expressed in taste cells including CALHM1, Pannexin 1, Connexin 30, and Connexin 43, but whether all are involved in ATP release is not clear. We have used a global Pannexin 1 knock out (Panx1 KO) mouse in a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our results confirm that Panx1 channels are absent in taste buds of the knockout mice and that other known ATP release channels are not upregulated. Using a luciferin/luciferase assay, we show that circumvallate taste buds from Panx1 KO mice normally release ATP upon taste stimulation compared with wild type (WT) mice. Gustatory nerve recordings in response to various tastants applied to the tongue and brief-access behavioral testing with SC45647 also show no difference between Panx1 KO and WT. These results confirm that Panx1 is not required for the taste evoked release of ATP or for neural and behavioral responses to taste stimuli.

The sense of taste allows animals to sample chemicals in the environment prior to ingestion. Of the five basic tastes, sour, the taste of acids, had remained among the most mysterious. Acids are detected by Type III taste receptor cells (TRCs), located in taste buds across the tongue and palate epithelium. The first step in sour taste transduction is believed to be entry of protons into the cell cytosol, which leads to cytosolic acidification and the generation of action potentials. The proton-selective ion channel Otop1 is expressed in Type III TRCs and is a candidate sour receptor. Here, we tested the contribution of Otop1 to taste cell and gustatory nerve responses to acids in mice in which Otop1 was genetically inactivated (Otop1-KO). We first show that Otop1 is required for the inward proton current in Type III TRCs from different parts of the tongue that are otherwise molecularly heterogeneous. We next show that in Type III TRCs from Otop1-KO mice, intracellular pH does not track with extracellular pH and moderately acidic stimuli do not elicit trains of action potentials, as they do in Type III TRCs from wildtype mice. Moreover, gustatory nerve responses in Otop1-KO mice were severely and selectively attenuated for acidic stimuli, including citric acid and HCl. These results establish that the Otop1 proton channel plays an important role in acid detection in the context of the mouse gustatory system, evidence that it is a bona fide sour taste receptor.

Taste buds are unusual in requiring ATP as a transmitter to activate sensory nerve fibers. In response to taste stimuli, taste cells release ATP, activating purinergic receptors containing the P2X2 and P2X3 subunits on taste nerves. In turn, the released ATP is hydrolyzed to ADP by a plasma membrane nucleoside triphosphate previously identified as nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-2 (NTPDase2). In this paper we investigate the role of this ectonucleotidase in the function of taste buds by examining gene-targeted Entpd2-null mice globally lacking NTPDase2. RT-PCR confirmed the absence of NTPDase2, and ATPase enzyme histochemistry reveals no reaction product in taste buds of knockout mice, suggesting that NTPDase2 is the dominant form in taste buds. RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry demonstrated that in knockout mice all cell types are present in taste buds, even those cells normally expressing NTPDase2. In addition, the overall number and size of taste buds are normal in Entpd2-null mice. Luciferin/luciferase assays of circumvallate tissue of knockout mice detected elevated levels of extracellular ATP. Electrophysiological recordings from two taste nerves, the chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal, revealed depressed responses to all taste stimuli in Entpd2-null mice. Responses were more depressed in the glossopharyngeal nerve than in the chorda tympani nerve and involved all taste qualities; responses in the chorda tympani were more depressed to sweet and umami stimuli than to other qualities. We suggest that the excessive levels of extracellular ATP in the Entpd2-knockout animals desensitize the P2X receptors associated with nerve fibers, thereby depressing taste responses.

Background: Solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) are spe- cialized cells in the respiratory epithelium that respond to noxious chemicals including bacterial signaling molecules. SCCs express components of bier taste transduction in- cluding the taste receptor type 2 (TAS2R) bier taste re- ceptors and downstream signaling effectors: α-Gustducin, phospholipase Cβ 2( PLCβ2), and transient receptor poten- tial cation channel subfamily M member 5 (TRPM5). When activated, SCCs evoke neurogenic reflexes, resulting in lo- cal inflammation. The purpose of this study was to test for the presence SCCs in human sinonasal epithelium, and to test for a correlation with inflammatory disease processes such as allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis. Methods: Patient demographics and biopsies of human sinonasal mucosa were obtained from control patients (n = 7) and those with allergic rhinitis and/or chronic rhinosi- nusitis (n = 15). Reverse transcription polymerase chain re- action (RT-PCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and immunohis- tochemistry were used to determine whether expression of signaling effectors was altered in diseased patients. Results: RT-PCR demonstrated that bier taste recep- tors TAS2R4, TAS2R14, and TAS2R46, and downstream sig- naling effectors α-Gustducin, PLCβ2, and TRPM5 are ex- pressed in the inferior turbinate, middle turbinate, sep- tum, and uncinate of both control and diseased patients. PLCβ2/TRPM5-immunoreactive SCCs were identified in the sinonasal mucosa of both control and diseased pa- tients. qPCR showed similar expression of α-Gustducin and TRPM5 in the uncinate process of control and diseased groups, and there was no correlation between level of ex- pression and 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22) or pain scores.

Taste buds are the transducing endorgans of gustation. Each taste bud comprises 50-100 elongated cells, which extend from the basal lamina to the surface of the tongue, where their apical microvilli encounter taste stimuli in the oral cavity. Salts and acids utilize apically located ion channels for transduction, while bitter, sweet and umami (glutamate) stimuli utilize G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and second-messenger signalling mechanisms. This review will focus on GPCR signalling mechanisms. Two classes of taste GPCRs have been identified, the T1Rs for sweet and umami (glutamate) stimuli and the T2Rs for bitter stimuli. These low affinity GPCRs all couple to the same downstream signalling effectors that include Gβγ activation of phospholipase Cβ2, 1,4,5-inositol trisphosphate mediated release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores and Ca(2+) -dependent activation of the monovalent selective cation channel, TrpM5. These events lead to membrane depolarization, action potentials and release of ATP as a transmitter to activate gustatory afferents. The Gα subunit, α-gustducin, activates a phosphodiesterase to decrease intracellular cAMP levels, although the precise targets of cAMP have not been identified. With the molecular identification of the taste GPCRs, it has become clear that taste signalling is not limited to taste buds, but occurs in many cell types of the airways. These include solitary chemosensory cells, ciliated epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Bitter receptors are most abundantly expressed in the airways, where they respond to irritating chemicals and promote protective airway reflexes, utilizing the same downstream signalling effectors as taste cells.

Exocytosis, consisting of the merger of vesicle and plasma membrane, is a common mechanism used by different types of nucleated cells to release their vesicular contents. Taste cells possess vesicles containing various neurotransmitters to communicate with adjacent taste cells and afferent nerve fibers. However, whether these vesicles engage in exocytosis on a stimulus is not known. Since vesicle membrane merger with the plasma membrane is reflected in plasma membrane area fluctuations, we measured membrane capacitance (Cm), a parameter linearly related to membrane surface area. To investigate whether taste cells undergo regulated exocytosis, we used the compensated tight-seal whole-cell recording technique to monitor depolarization-induced changes inCmin the different types of taste cells. To identify taste cell types, mice expressing green fluorescent protein from the TRPM5 promoter or from the GAD67 promoter were used to discriminate type II and type III taste cells, respectively. Moreover, the cell types were also identified by monitoring their voltage–current properties. The results demonstrate that only type III taste cells show significant depolarization-induced increases inCm, which were correlated to the voltage-activated calcium currents. The results suggest that type III, but neither type II nor type I cells exhibit depolarization-induced regulated exocytosis to release transmitter and activate gustatory afferent nerve fibers.

The taste-selective G protein, alpha-gustducin (alpha-gus) is homologous to alpha-transducin and activates phosphodiesterase (PDE) in vitro. alpha-Gus-knockout mice are compromized to bitter, sweet and umami taste stimuli, suggesting a central role in taste transduction. Here, we suggest a different role for Galpha-gus. In taste buds of alpha-gus-knockout mice, basal (unstimulated) cAMP levels are high compared to those of wild-type mice. Further, H-89, a cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, dramatically unmasks responses to the bitter tastant denatonium in gus-lineage cells of knockout mice. We propose that an important role of alpha-gus is to maintain cAMP levels tonically low to ensure adequate Ca2+ signaling.

Nasal trigeminal chemosensitivity in mice and rats is mediated in part by epithelial solitary chemoreceptor (chemosensory) cells (SCCs), but the exact role of these cells in chemoreception is unclear. Histological evidence suggests that SCCs express elements of the bitter taste transduction pathway including T2R (bitter taste) receptors, the G protein α-gustducin, PLCβ2, and TRPM5, leading to speculation that SCCs are the receptor cells that mediate trigeminal nerve responses to bitter taste receptor ligands. To test this hypothesis, we used calcium imaging to determine whether SCCs respond to classic bitter-tasting or trigeminal stimulants. SCCs from the anterior nasal cavity were isolated from transgenic mice in which green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression was driven by either TRPM5 or gustducin. Isolated cells were exposed to a variety of test stimuli to determine which substances caused an increase in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). GFP-positive cells respond with increased [Ca2+]i to the bitter receptor ligand denatonium and this response is blocked by the PLC inhibitor U73122. In addition, GFP+ cells respond to the neuromodulators adenosine 5′-triphosphate and acetylcholine but only very rarely to other bitter-tasting or trigeminal stimuli. Our results demonstrate that TRPM5- and gustducin-expressing nasal SCCs respond to the T2R agonist denatonium via a PLC-coupled transduction cascade typical of T2Rs in the taste system.

Sour taste is detected by a subset of taste cells on the tongue and palate epithelium that respond to acids with trains of action potentials. Entry of protons through a Zn2+-sensitive proton conductance that is specific to sour taste cells has been shown to be the initial event in sour taste transduction. Whether this conductance acts in concert with other channels sensitive to changes in intracellular pH, however, is not known. Here we show that intracellular acidification generates excitatory responses in sour taste cells, which can be attributed to block of a resting K+ current. We identify KIR2.1 as the acid-sensitive K+ channel in sour taste cells using pharmacological and RNA expression profiling and confirm its contribution to sour taste with tissue-specific knockout of the Kcnj2 gene. Surprisingly, acid sensitivity is not conferred on sour taste cells by the specific expression of KIR2.1, but by the relatively small magnitude of the current, which makes the cells exquisitely sensitive to changes in intracellular pH. Consistent with a role of the K+ current in amplifying the sensory response, entry of protons through the Zn2+-sensitive conductance produces a transient block of the KIR2.1 current. The identification in sour taste cells of an acid-sensitive K+ channel suggests a mechanism for amplification of sour taste and may explain why weak acids that produce intracellular acidification, such as acetic acid, taste more sour than strong acids.

Sour taste is detected by a subset of taste cells on the tongue and palate epithelium that respond to acids with trains of action potentials. Entry of protons through a Zn(2+)-sensitive proton conductance that is specific to sour taste cells has been shown to be the initial event in sour taste transduction. Whether this conductance acts in concert with other channels sensitive to changes in intracellular pH, however, is not known. Here, we show that intracellular acidification generates excitatory responses in sour taste cells, which can be attributed to block of a resting K(+) current. We identify KIR2.1 as the acid-sensitive K(+) channel in sour taste cells using pharmacological and RNA expression profiling and confirm its contribution to sour taste with tissue-specific knockout of the Kcnj2 gene. Surprisingly, acid sensitivity is not conferred on sour taste cells by the specific expression of Kir2.1, but by the relatively small magnitude of the current, which makes the cells exquisitely sensitive to changes in intracellular pH. Consistent with a role of the K(+) current in amplifying the sensory response, entry of protons through the Zn(2+)-sensitive conductance produces a transient block of the KIR2.1 current. The identification in sour taste cells of an acid-sensitive K(+) channel suggests a mechanism for amplification of sour taste and may explain why weak acids that produce intracellular acidification, such as acetic acid, taste more sour than strong acids.

Both amiloride-sensitive and -insensitive mechanisms contribute to NaCl taste transduction. The amiloride-sensitive mechanism relies on the epithelial Na(+) channel ENaC, which is widely expressed on the apical membrane of fungiform taste cells. The amiloride-insensitive mechanism, which predominates in circumvallate and foliate taste buds, was recently reported to involve a variant of the nonselective cation channel TRPV1. We performed 2-bottle preference and threshold experiments with TRPV1 knockout mice and wild-type (C57BL/6J) controls to test for NaCl preference and detection thresholds in the presence and absence of amiloride. Surprisingly, TRPV1 knockout mice not only detected NaCl in the presence of amiloride but they preferred NaCl over water at concentrations avoided by the wild-type mice. NaCl detection thresholds were between 2 and 3 mM for both genotypes. Amiloride increased the detection thresholds of wild-type mice but not knockout mice. The knockout mice also preferred 100 mM KCl compared with wild-type controls, suggesting that TRPV1 receptors may mediate a general aversive response to salts. Analyses of consumption data also revealed that TRPV1 knockout mice ingested more of the NaCl, with and without amiloride, and KCl solutions than the wild-type mice. However, comparisons of preference ratios and consumption volumes indicated that both wild-type and TRPV1 knockout mice avoided citric acid in quite a similar manner, suggesting that TRPV1 receptors do not mediate the detection of citric acid. These data, taken together, suggest that additional mechanisms must contribute to the amiloride-insensitive NaCl response.

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 μM thapsigargin or 3 μM 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 Cβ2(i.e., cells that elevate [Ca2+]iin 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.

Activation of taste buds triggers the release of several neurotransmitters, including ATP and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT). Type III taste cells release 5-HT directly in response to acidic (sour) stimuli and indirectly in response to bitter and sweet tasting stimuli. Although ATP is necessary for activation of nerve fibers for all taste stimuli, the role of 5-HT is unclear. We investigated whether gustatory afferents express functional 5-HT3receptors and, if so, whether these receptors play a role in transmission of taste information from taste buds to nerves. In mice expressing GFP under the control of the 5-HT3Apromoter, a subset of cells in the geniculate ganglion and nerve fibers in taste buds are GFP-positive. RT-PCR andin situhybridization confirmed the presence of 5-HT3AmRNA in the geniculate ganglion. Functional studies show that only those geniculate ganglion cells expressing 5-HT3A-driven GFP respond to 10 μm5-HT and this response is blocked by 1 μmondansetron, a 5-HT3antagonist, and mimicked by application of 10 μmm-chlorophenylbiguanide, a 5-HT3agonist. Pharmacological blockade of 5-HT3receptorsin vivoor genetic deletion of the 5-HT3receptors reduces taste nerve responses to acids and other taste stimuli compared with controls, but only when urethane was used as the anesthetic. We find that anesthetic levels of pentobarbital reduce taste nerve responses apparently by blocking the 5-HT3receptors. Our results suggest that 5-HT released from type III cells activates gustatory nerve fibers via 5-HT3receptors, accounting for a significant proportion of the neural taste response.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHistorically, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) has been described as a candidate neurotransmitter in the gustatory system and recent studies show that type III taste receptor cells release 5-HT in response to various taste stimuli. In the present study, we demonstrate that a subset of gustatory sensory neurons express functional 5-HT3receptors that play a significant role in the neurotransmission of taste information from taste buds to nerves. In addition, we show that the anesthetic pentobarbital, widely used in taste nerve recordings, blocks 5-HT3signaling. Therefore, many conclusions drawn from those data need to be reexamined in light of this anesthetic effect.

Taste buds release ATP to activate ionotropic purinoceptors composed of P2X2 and P2X3 subunits, present on the taste nerves. Mice with genetic deletion of P2X2 and P2X3 receptors (double knockout mice) lack responses to all taste stimuli presumably due to the absence of ATP-gated receptors on the afferent nerves. Recent experiments on the double knockout mice showed, however, that their taste buds fail to release ATP, suggesting the possibility of pleiotropic deficits in these global knockouts. To test further the role of postsynaptic P2X receptors in afferent signalling, we used AF-353, a selective antagonist of P2X3-containing receptors to inhibit the receptors acutely during taste nerve recording and behaviour. The specificity of AF-353 for P2X3-containing receptors was tested by recording Ca(2+) transients to exogenously applied ATP in fura-2 loaded isolated geniculate ganglion neurons from wild-type and P2X3 knockout mice. ATP responses were completely inhibited by 10 μm or 100 μm AF-353, but neither concentration blocked responses in P2X3 single knockout mice wherein the ganglion cells express only P2X2-containing receptors. Furthermore, AF-353 had no effect on taste-evoked ATP release from taste buds. In wild-type mice, i.p. injection of AF-353 or simple application of the drug directly to the tongue, inhibited taste nerve responses to all taste qualities in a dose-dependent fashion. A brief access behavioural assay confirmed the electrophysiological results and showed that preference for a synthetic sweetener, SC-45647, was abolished following i.p. injection of AF-353. These data indicate that activation of P2X3-containing receptors is required for transmission of all taste qualities.

In the last decade, a great deal of progress has been made in understanding the molecular and physiological basis of sweet taste. A heterodimeric G protein-coupled receptor, T1R2/T1R3, appears to bind to and be activated by most (but not all) sweet tastants.1–4 The component subunit T1R3 was originally cloned based on its association with Sac, a murine locus that determines sensitivity and preference for sugars and synthetic sweeteners.5,6 Structure–function studies on the sweet taste receptor expressed in cell culture revealed that each of the two subunits has binding sites for different sweeteners and plays a role in signaling to downstream partners.7–9 Activation of sweet receptors triggers a phosphoinositide and calcium signaling pathway that is common to all the taste G protein-coupled receptors for sweet, bitter, and umami10 and includes Gβγ subunits, phospholipase Cβ2, and the nonselective cation channel, TrpM5. Now that the principles of transduction for sweet taste have been outlined, the field has turned to examining the mechanisms that modulate sweet taste sensitivity and preference. The interaction of taste with physiological states in animals and people, and how this influences feeding and appetite, is of particular interest. Four speakers in this symposium highlighted interesting new developments that suggest that sweet taste may be particularly amenable to perturbation by hormonal and environmental influences. Several peptide hormones serve as adiposity and satiety signals from peripheral tissues and affect hypothalamic and brain stem centers for appetite regulation. In recently published work, the laboratories of Steve Munger and Josephine Egan showed that one of these hormones, glucagon-like peptide 1, in addition to its prominent role in the gut, appears also to be secreted from taste buds and to act on nearby nerve fibers.11 In his presentation, Steve Munger further reported on studies from his laboratory12 that suggest that glucagon-like peptide 1 modulates sweet and umami tastes in opposing directions. The implications for paracrine modulation in the taste periphery and/or for new avenues of neural signaling are substantial. Another peptide hormone, leptin, is synthesized in adipose tissue and has received much attention in the scientific and popular literature. Yuzo Ninomiya’s group showed some years ago13,14 that leptin receptors expressed on mouse taste buds are activated by circulating leptin and serve to inhibit responses to sweet tastants. In this symposium, Ninomiya15 discussed recent experiments that suggest parallel effects may occur in humans as well. Alan Carlton presented a summary of his recently published findings utilizing intrinsic imaging to map the spatial representation of taste qualities in the rat primary gustatory cortex. His data showed that stimuli representing sweet, salty, sour, and bitter taste qualities mapped to distinct, but overlapping, areas of the gustatory cortex. Stimuli that were of similar hedonic qualities (e.g., sweet and salty) had more overlapping distributions than stimuli of different hedonic qualities (e.g., sweet and bitter).16 Further, he presented data suggesting that these gustatory maps were plastic and could be modified by gustatory experience. Rats conditioned to avoid sucrose exhibited a map more typical of a bitter representation than a sweet one. However, after extinction of the conditioned taste aversion, the maps representing sweet and bitter became more spatially distinct, suggesting that the stimuli once again had different meanings.17 Taken together, these two studies suggest that the gustatory cortex encodes not only stimulus quality but also the hedonic value of a stimulus. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is glucose intolerance first identified during pregnancy and affects as many as 9% of pregnant women. People with type 2 diabetes are known to exhibit an increased desire for sweet taste in their diet. Lisa Belzer reported on new studies that have examined the extent and time course for sweet taste changes in women who develop gestational diabetes and relate these alterations to the endocrine and metabolic profiles of pregnancy. Women with GDM showed higher preferences for sucrose-sweetened milk late in pregnancy, and a subset of these women reported more frequent sweet cravings than women with normal glucose tolerance. Moreover, in comparison to pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance, circulating insulin and leptin rose earlier in women who developed GDM, coinciding with the emergence of diabetic symptoms at midpregnancy. These premature elevations in insulin and leptin were positively correlated with higher liking ratings for sweet drinks in women with GDM. Thus, GDM may increase the hedonic value of sweet taste and cravings for sweet foods. Since diet is the cornerstone of GDM management, this work may lead to the development of better dietary management or prevention strategies for GDM. The interface between taste and ingestion is coming to light in numerous ways through functional and clinical analyses at the cellular, systemic, and behavioral levels. This is especially the case for sweet taste, where the obvious connections with obesity, diabetes, and a host of other ills motivate a detailed examination of the influence of peptide hormones on taste.

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, ∼80% of the taste cells in the mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus, are bitter-responsive. In this study, we used Ca2+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 Ca2+level in most taste cells. The DEX-induced Ca2+increase was inhibited by thapsigargin, an inhibitor of Ca2+transport into intracellular stores, but not by U73122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C, or by ryanodine, an inhibitor of ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+stores. Increasing intracellular cAMP levels with a cell-permeant cAMP analogue and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor enhanced the DEX-induced Ca2+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-β-S, a blocker of G-protein activation. DEX also inhibited voltage-gated Ca2+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 Ca2+from intracellular stores by a phospholipase C-independent mechanism. We speculate that the membrane-permeant DEX may enter taste cells and interact directly with Ca2+stores. Comparing transduction of DEX with that of denatonium, both compounds release Ca2+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.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) elicits a unique taste in humans called umami. Recent molecular studies suggest that glutamate receptors similar to those in brain are present in taste cells, but their precise role in taste transduction remains to be elucidated. We used giga-seal whole cell recording to examine the effects of MSG and glutamate receptor agonists on membrane properties of taste cells from rat fungiform papillae. MSG (1 mM) induced three subsets of responses in cells voltage-clamped at −80 mV: a decrease in holding current (subset I), an increase in holding current (subset II), and a biphasic response consisting of an increase, followed by a decrease in holding current (subset III). Most subset II glutamate responses were mimicked by the ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) agonist N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). The current was potentiated by glycine and was suppressed by the NMDA receptor antagonist d(−)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5). The group III metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonistl-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (l-AP4) usually mimicked the subset I glutamate response. This hyperpolarizing response was suppressed by the mGluR antagonist (RS)-α-cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (CPPG) and by 8-bromo-cAMP, suggesting a role for cAMP in the transduction pathway. In a small subset of taste cells, l-AP4 elicited an increase in holding current, resulting in taste cell depolarization under current clamp. Taken together, our results suggest that NMDA-like receptors and at least two types of group III mGluRs are present in taste receptor cells, and these may be coactivated by MSG. Further studies are required to determine which receptors are located on the apical membrane and how they contribute to the umami taste.

Behavioral and physiological studies have demonstrated a reduced sensitivity to several taste stimuli early in development. It has been suggested that this reduced sensitivity results from a late maturation of underlying transduction mechanisms. Little is known, however, about maturation of membrane properties of taste cells early in development. We have obtained whole-cell recordings from single fungiform taste cells of rat pups to examine the development of the NaCl transduction system. Although taste buds undergo a considerable increase in size during development, membrane capacitance measurements revealed no change in membrane surface area of individual taste cells, suggesting that the increase in size results from an increase in the total number of cells per bud. Whole-cell recordings showed that taste cells from very young pups [postnatal day 2 (PND2)] already possessed voltage-activated Na+and K+currents with no apparent differences in size or kinetics compared with adults. Surprisingly, amiloride-sensitive Na+responses, important for Na+transduction, were found as early as PND2. The magnitude of responses to amiloride and the percentage of amiloride-sensitive cells remained the same throughout all age groups. Furthermore, the similarity of amiloride inhibition constants suggested that the channel in neonates is the same channel that is expressed in adult taste buds. Our results indicate that taste cells at PND2 already have acquired the transduction elements necessary for signaling NaCl responses to the afferent nerve. We hypothesize that complete functionality of the salt taste transduction system, however, may not be reached until amiloride-sensitive Na+channels become selectively localized at the apical membrane. This would explain previous studies indicating that amiloride sensitivity cannot be detected before PND12 in the intact tongue. Apical clustering of channels along with the opening of the taste pore and an increase in the total number of taste cells per bud likely constitute additional important steps toward a fully functional sensory system.

Not only is ATP a ubiquitous source of energy but it is also used widely as an intercellular signal. For example, keratinocytes release ATP in response to numerous external stimuli including pressure, heat and chemical insult. The released ATP activates purinergic receptors on nerve fibers to generate nociceptive signals. The importance of an ATP signal in epithelial-to-neuronal signaling is nowhere more evident than in the taste system. The receptor cells of taste buds release ATP in response to appropriate stimulation by tastants and the released ATP then activates P2X2 and P2X3 receptors on the taste nerves. Genetic ablation of the relevant P2X receptors leaves an animal without the ability to taste any primary taste quality. Of interest is that release of ATP by taste receptor cells occurs in a non-vesicular fashion, apparently via gated membrane channels. Further, in keeping with the crucial role of ATP as a neurotransmitter in this system, a subset of taste cells expresses a specific ectoATPase, NTPDase2, necessary to clear extracellular ATP which otherwise will desensitize the P2X receptors on the taste nerves. The unique utilization of ATP as a key neurotransmitter in the taste system may reflect the epithelial rather than neuronal origins of the receptor cells.

In response to gustatory stimulation, taste bud cells release a transmitter, ATP, that activates P2X2 and P2X3 receptors on gustatory afferent fibers. Taste behavior and gustatory neural responses are largely abolished in mice lacking P2X2 and P2X3 receptors [P2X2 and P2X3 double knock-out (DKO) mice]. The assumption has been that eliminating P2X2 and P2X3 receptors only removes postsynaptic targets but that transmitter secretion in mice is normal. Using functional imaging, ATP biosensor cells, and a cell-free assay for ATP, we tested this assumption. Surprisingly, although gustatory stimulation mobilizes Ca2+in taste Receptor (Type II) cells from DKO mice, as from wild-type (WT) mice, taste cells from DKO mice fail to release ATP when stimulated with tastants. ATP release could be elicited by depolarizing DKO Receptor cells with KCl, suggesting that ATP-release machinery remains functional in DKO taste buds. To explore the difference in ATP release across genotypes, we used reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, immunostaining, and histochemistry for key proteins underlying ATP secretion and degradation: Pannexin1, TRPM5, and NTPDase2 (ecto-ATPase) are indistinguishable between WT and DKO mice. The ultrastructure of contacts between taste cells and nerve fibers is also normal in the DKO mice. Finally, quantitative RT-PCR show that P2X4 and P2X7, potential modulators of ATP secretion, are similarly expressed in taste buds in WT and DKO taste buds. Importantly, we find that P2X2 is expressed in WT taste buds and appears to function as an autocrine, positive feedback signal to amplify taste-evoked ATP secretion.

Taste is a discriminative sense involving specialized receptor cells of the oral cavity (taste buds) and at least two distinct families of G protein-coupled receptor molecules that detect nutritionally important substances or potential toxins. Yet the receptor mechanisms that drive taste also are utilized by numerous systems throughout the body. How and why these so-called taste receptors are used to regulate digestion and respiration is now a matter of intense study. In this article we provide a historical perspective and an overview of these systems, leading to speculations on directions for further research.

Background Glutamate has been proposed as a transmitter in the peripheral taste system in addition to its well-documented role as an umami taste stimulus. Evidence for a role as a transmitter includes the presence of ionotropic glutamate receptors in nerve fibers and taste cells, as well as the expression of the glutamate transporter GLAST in Type I taste cells. However, the source and targets of glutamate in lingual tissue are unclear. In the present study, we used molecular, physiological and immunohistochemical methods to investigate the origin of glutamate as well as the targeted receptors in taste buds. Results Using molecular and immunohistochemical techniques, we show that the vesicular transporters for glutamate, VGLUT 1 and 2, but not VGLUT3, are expressed in the nerve fibers surrounding taste buds but likely not in taste cells themselves. Further, we show that P2X2, a specific marker for gustatory but not trigeminal fibers, co-localizes with VGLUT2, suggesting the VGLUT-expressing nerve fibers are of gustatory origin. Calcium imaging indicates that GAD67-GFP Type III taste cells, but not T1R3-GFP Type II cells, respond to glutamate at concentrations expected for a glutamate transmitter, and further, that these responses are partially blocked by NBQX, a specific AMPA/Kainate receptor antagonist. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry confirm the presence of the Kainate receptor GluR7 in Type III taste cells, suggesting it may be a target of glutamate released from gustatory nerve fibers. Conclusions Taken together, the results suggest that glutamate may be released from gustatory nerve fibers using a vesicular mechanism to modulate Type III taste cells via GluR7.

The upper respiratory tract is continually assaulted with harmful dusts and xenobiotics carried on the incoming airstream. Detection of such irritants by the trigeminal nerve evokes protective reflexes, including sneezing, apnea, and local neurogenic inflammation of the mucosa. Although free intra-epithelial nerve endings can detect certain lipophilic irritants (e.g., mints, ammonia), the epithelium also houses a population of trigeminally innervated solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) that express T2R bitter taste receptors along with their downstream signaling components. These SCCs have been postulated to enhance the chemoresponsive capabilities of the trigeminal irritant-detection system. Here we show that transduction by the intranasal solitary chemosensory cells is necessary to evoke trigeminally mediated reflex reactions to some irritants including acyl–homoserine lactone bacterial quorum-sensing molecules, which activate the downstream signaling effectors associated with bitter taste transduction. Isolated nasal chemosensory cells respond to the classic bitter ligand denatonium as well as to the bacterial signals by increasing intracellular Ca 2 + . Furthermore, these same substances evoke changes in respiration indicative of trigeminal activation. Genetic ablation of either Gα-gustducin or TrpM5, essential elements of the T2R transduction cascade, eliminates the trigeminal response. Because acyl–homoserine lactones serve as quorum-sensing molecules for Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, detection of these substances by airway chemoreceptors offers a means by which the airway epithelium may trigger an epithelial inflammatory response before the bacteria reach population densities capable of forming destructive biofilms.

The apically restricted, voltage-dependent K+ conductance of Necturus taste receptor cells was studied using cell-attached, inside-out and outside-out configurations of the patch-clamp recording technique. Patches from the apical membrane typically contained many channels with unitary conductances ranging from 30 to 175 pS in symmetrical K+ solutions. Channel density was so high that unitary currents could be resolved only at negative voltages; at positive voltages patch recordings resembled whole-cell recordings. These multi-channel patches had a small but significant resting conductance that was strongly activated by depolarization. Patch current was highly K+ selective, with a PK/PNa ratio of 28. Patches containing single K+ channels were obtained by allowing the apical membrane to redistribute into the basolateral membrane with time. Two types of K+ channels were observed in isolation. Ca(2+)-dependent channels of large conductance (135-175 pS) were activated in cell-attached patches by strong depolarization, with a half-activation voltage of approximately -10 mV. An ATP-blocked K+ channel of 100 pS was activated in cell-attached patches by weak depolarization, with a half-activation voltage of approximately -47 mV. All apical K+ channels were blocked by the sour taste stimulus citric acid directly applied to outside-out and perfused cell-attached patches. The bitter stimulus quinine also blocked all channels when applied directly by altering channel gating to reduce the open probability. When quinine was applied extracellularly only to the membrane outside the patch pipette and also to inside-out patches, it produced a flickery block. Thus, sour and bitter taste stimuli appear to block the same apical K+ channels via different mechanisms to produce depolarizing receptor potentials.

l-Glutamate elicits the umami taste sensation, now recognized as a fifth distinct taste quality. A characteristic feature of umami taste is its potentiation by 5'-ribonucleotides such as guanosine-5'-monophosphate and inosine 5'-monophosphate, which also elicit the umami taste on their own. Recent data suggest that multiple G protein-coupled receptors contribute to umami taste. This review will focus on events downstream of the umami taste receptors. Ligand binding leads to Gbetagamma activation of phospholipase C beta2, which produces the second messengers inositol trisphosphate and diacylglycerol. Inositol trisphosphate binds to the type III inositol trisphosphate receptor, which causes the release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores and Ca(2+)-dependent activation of a monovalent-selective cation channel, TRPM5. TRPM5 is believed to depolarize taste cells, which leads to the release of ATP, which activates ionotropic purinergic receptors on gustatory afferent nerve fibers. This model is supported by knockout of the relevant signaling effectors as well as physiologic studies of isolated taste cells. Concomitant with the molecular studies, physiologic studies show that l-glutamate elicits increases in intracellular Ca(2+) in isolated taste cells and that the source of the Ca(2+) is release from intracellular stores. Both Galpha gustducin and Galpha transducin are involved in umami signaling, because the knockout of either subunit compromises responses to umami stimuli. Both alpha-gustducin and alpha-transducin activate phosphodiesterases to decrease intracellular cAMP. The target of cAMP in umami transduction is not known, but membrane-permeant analogs of cAMP antagonize electrophysiologic responses to umami stimuli in isolated taste cells, which suggests that cAMP may have a modulatory role in umami signaling.

Taste cells regularly generate action potentials, but their functional significance in taste signaling is unclear. A paper in BMC Neuroscience reveals the identity of the voltage-gated Na+ channels underlying action potentials, providing the foundation for insights into their function.

The palatal region of the oral cavity in rodents houses 100–300 taste buds and is particularly sensitive to sweet and umami compounds; yet, few studies have examined the expression patterns of transduction-related molecules in this taste field. We investigated the interrelationships between members of the T1R family and between each T1R and gustducin in palatal taste buds. Similar to lingual taste buds, T1R1 and T1R2 are generally expressed in separate palatal taste cells. In contrast to lingual taste buds, however, T1R2 and T1R3-positive palatal taste cells almost always coexpress gustducin, suggesting that sweet taste transduction in the palate is almost entirely dependent on gustducin. T1R1-positive palate taste cells coexpress gustducin about half the time, suggesting that other G proteins may contribute to the transduction of umami stimuli in this taste field.

The trigeminal nerve responds to a wide variety of irritants. Trigeminal nerve fibers express several receptors that respond to chemicals, including TRPV1 (vanilloid) receptors, acid-sensing ion channels, P2X (purinergic) receptors, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In order to assess whether TRPV1 plays a role in responses to a broad array of substances, TRPV1 (along with green fluorescent protein) was expressed in human embyonic kidney cells (HEK) 293t cells which were then stimulated with diverse trigeminal irritants. Calcium imaging was used to measure responses to capsaicin, amyl acetate, cyclohexanone, acetic acid, toluene, benzaldehyde, (-)-nicotine, (R)-(+)-limonene, (R)-(-)-carvone, and (S)-(+)-carvone. Three irritants (acetic acid and the 2 carvones) stimulated nontransfected controls. Two irritants (capsaicin and cyclohexanone) stimulated only transfected cells. The response could be eliminated with capsazepine, a TRPV1 blocker. The 5 remaining irritants were nonstimulatory in both nontransfected and transfected cells. Because all the compounds tested on HEK cells elicited neural responses from the ethmoid branch of the trigeminal nerve in rats, the 5 nonstimulatory compounds must do so by a non-TRPV1 receptor. These results suggest that TRPV1 serves as a receptor for both cyclohexanone and capsaicin in trigeminal nerve endings.

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.

Taste receptor cells detect chemicals in the oral cavity and transmit this information to taste nerves, but the neurotransmitter(s) have not been identified. We report that adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) is the key neurotransmitter in this system. Genetic elimination of ionotropic purinergic receptors (P2X 2 and P2X 3 ) eliminates taste responses in the taste nerves, although the nerves remain responsive to touch, temperature, and menthol. Similarly, P2X-knockout mice show greatly reduced behavioral responses to sweeteners, glutamate, and bitter substances. Finally, stimulation of taste buds in vitro evokes release of ATP. Thus, ATP fulfils the criteria for a neurotransmitter linking taste buds to the nervous system.