A dissociation procedure for mammalian taste cells

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Neuroscience
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Studying taste cell function is crucial for understanding gustatory transduction.
• Previous methods for isolating taste cells have limitations for electrophysiological analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel procedure for dissociating viable taste cells from rodent tongues.
• To facilitate electrophysiological studies of gustatory transduction mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Excised rodent tongues underwent papain enzyme incubation in calcium-free solution.
• Epithelium was separated, and mechanical agitation dissociated single taste cells.
• Cell viability was confirmed using patch clamp whole-cell recording.

Main Results:

• A procedure was established for dissociating viable taste cells.
• Taste cells were identified morphologically and their viability confirmed electrophysiologically.
• The method allows for easy separation of epithelial tissue.

Conclusions:

• This novel dissociation procedure yields viable taste cells.
• The method enhances the capability for electrophysiological investigation of taste cell function.
• It provides a valuable tool for gustatory research.