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Gustatory neural responses in preweanling mice.
Y Ninomiya1, T Tanimukai, S Yoshida
1Department of Oral Physiology, Asahi University School of Dentistry, Gifu Japan.
Physiology & Behavior
|May 1, 1991
Summary
The glossopharyngeal (GL) nerve is crucial for detecting umami tastes in young mice, while the chorda tympani (CT) nerve is more sensitive to sweet and salty tastes. These taste sensitivities mature after weaning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Taste perception is vital for survival and development.
- Understanding taste nerve development reveals insights into dietary preferences and physiological changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental changes in taste sensitivity in mice.
- To compare the roles of the chorda tympani (CT) and glossopharyngeal (GL) nerves in taste perception during preweanling and adult stages.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings of CT and GL nerve responses to various taste stimuli (monosodium l-glutamate, sucrose, NaCl, HCl, quinine-HCl) in preweanling and adult mice.
- Assessment of taste sensitivities and nerve response modulation (e.g., by GMP and amiloride).
Main Results:
- In preweanling mice, the GL nerve showed low thresholds for monosodium l-glutamate (MSG) and high thresholds for sucrose and NaCl, contrasting with the CT nerve.
- MSG response enhancement by GMP was observed in the CT nerve but not the GL nerve in young mice, but appeared in both nerves in adults.
- Adult mice showed altered GL nerve thresholds for MSG and NaCl, with amiloride inhibiting NaCl responses in the CT nerve.
Conclusions:
- The GL nerve is a primary pathway for umami taste in preweanling mice, while the CT nerve is more important for sweet and salty tastes.
- Taste receptor system properties, particularly for umami and salt, undergo significant changes during the postweanling period.