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Updated: Nov 3, 2025

In Vivo Evaluation of the Mechanical and Viscoelastic Properties of the Rat Tongue
Published on: July 6, 2017
Western Diet Induced Remodelling of the Tongue Proteome
Mriga Dutt1, Yaan-Kit Ng1, Jeffrey Molendijk1
1Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
Abstract:
The tongue is a heavily innervated and vascularized striated muscle that plays an important role in vocalization, swallowing and digestion. The surface of the tongue is lined with papillae which contain gustatory cells expressing various taste receptors. There is growing evidence to suggest that our perceptions of taste and food preference are remodelled following chronic consumption of Western diets rich in carbohydrate and fats. Our sensitivity to taste and also to metabolising Western diets may be a key factor in the rising prevalence of obesity; however, a systems-wide analysis of the tongue is lacking. Here, we defined the proteomic landscape of the mouse tongue and quantified changes following chronic consumption of a chow or Western diet enriched in lipid, fructose and cholesterol for 7 months. We observed a dramatic remodelling of the tongue proteome including proteins that regulate fatty acid and mitochondrial metabolism. Furthermore, the expressions of several receptors, metabolic enzymes and hormones were differentially regulated, and are likely to provide novel therapeutic targets to alter taste perception and food preference to combat obesity.
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