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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

In vivo Calcium Imaging of Mouse Geniculate Ganglion Neuron Responses to Taste Stimuli
Published on: February 11, 2021
Tonic activity of Galpha-gustducin regulates taste cell responsivity
Tod R Clapp1, Kristina R Trubey, Aurelie Vandenbeuch
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States.
Abstract:
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.
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