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New GPCRs from a human lingual cDNA library.
J C Gaudin1, L Breuils, T Haertlé
1Laboratoire d'Etude des Interactions des Molécules Alimentaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP 71627, 44316 Nantes, Cedex 3, France.
Chemical Senses
|November 14, 2001
Summary
New research suggests olfactory-like receptors, a type of G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), are expressed in the human tongue. These findings imply a potential role for these receptors in taste perception.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Sensory Neuroscience
Background:
- Taste perception, involving sweet and bitter flavors, is mediated by G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) on taste receptor cells.
- Multiple mechanisms and GPCR families likely contribute to the complex process of taste perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of GPCRs, specifically olfactory-like receptors, in the human tongue.
- To identify novel olfactory-like receptor genes and pseudogenes expressed in lingual tissues.
Main Methods:
- Utilized reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with degenerated primers targeting transmembrane domains of olfactory-like receptors.
- Analyzed gene expression in both adult and fetal human tongue tissues.
Main Results:
- Identified four known and eight novel olfactory-like receptor genes, along with three known and eight novel pseudogenes, primarily on chromosome 11.
- Confirmed expression of specific genes (HGMP071, HTPCR06, TPCR120, JCG3, JCG5) in adult tongue epithelium and broader expression in fetal tongue.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates the expression of olfactory-like receptors in the human tongue.
- These findings suggest a potential, yet unconfirmed, role for lingual olfactory-like receptors in the perception of taste.