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Sour taste responses in mice lacking PKD channels
Nao Horio1, Ryusuke Yoshida, Keiko Yasumatsu
1Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Plos One
|June 1, 2011
Summary
Polycystic kidney disease-like ion channel PKD2L1 (polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1) partially mediates sour taste perception in mice. Its absence reduced sour taste nerve responses, indicating other receptors are also involved in sour detection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The polycystic kidney disease-like ion channel PKD2L1 (polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1) and PKD1L3 are investigated as potential sour taste receptors.
- PKD2L1 is found in type III taste cells, which are known to respond to sour stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the role of PKD2L1 and PKD1L3 in mediating sour taste responses.
- To investigate the contribution of these ion channels to nerve and cellular taste responses.
Main Methods:
- Generated knockout mice lacking PKD2L1 and/or PKD1L3 genes.
- Measured whole nerve responses to various taste stimuli in the chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerves.
- Assessed taste responses in type III fungiform taste cells.
Main Results:
- Mice lacking PKD2L1 showed a 25-45% reduction in chorda tympani nerve responses to sour stimuli, but not other tastes.
- Eliminating PKD2L1 also reduced sour taste responses in type III fungiform taste cells by 25-45%.
- PKD1L3 knockout mice and double knockouts did not show significant differences in nerve responses compared to wild-type mice.
Conclusions:
- PKD2L1 plays a partial role in sour taste perception in mice.
- The findings suggest that additional, yet unidentified, receptors are involved in detecting sour tastes.
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