Neuronal-epithelial interactions in mammalian gustatory epithelium

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Neuroscience
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Fungiform papillae house taste buds and are influenced by neural input.
• Developmental innervation is crucial for taste bud formation and maintenance.
• Adult gustatory epithelium can regenerate taste buds upon reinnervation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of neural control in the morphogenetic programs of rodent fungiform papillae.
• To understand the differential effects of innervation on taste receptor cell expression and filiform spine development.
• To compare the regenerative capacity of taste buds in adult versus developing animals after denervation.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing monoclonal antibodies against keratins to identify cell lineages and differentiation states.
• Studying the effects of developmental denervation and subsequent reinnervation on papilla structure.
• Analyzing the regeneration of taste buds in adult denervated gustatory epithelium.

Main Results:

• Gustatory axons promote taste receptor cell expression and suppress ectopic filiform spine outgrowth.
• Developmental denervation irreversibly prevents the establishment of permanent taste bud stem cells.
• Taste bud regeneration in adults recapitulates late developmental steps but not early, denervation-sensitive stages.
• Nerve dependence offers a selective advantage, ensuring replacement of sensory cells with protective integument.

Conclusions:

• Neural control is essential for establishing and maintaining taste bud stem cell populations during development.
• Regenerative processes in adult taste epithelium differ significantly from initial developmental pathways.
• Nerve dependence in sensory receptor cells ensures tissue integrity and adaptive function.