Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 3, 2025
07:40
Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds
Published on: February 11, 2021
3.7K
Functional expression of TMEM16A in taste bud cells
Domenico M Guarascio1, Kevin Y Gonzalez-Velandia1, Andres Hernandez-Clavijo1
1Neurobiology Group, SISSA, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, 34136, Italy.
The Journal of Physiology
|June 5, 2021
Summary
Calcium-activated chloride channels TMEM16A are functional in type I taste cells, not type II or III. These channels are activated by ATP, suggesting a role in taste signal transduction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Sensory Physiology
Background:
- Taste transduction involves complex cellular mechanisms within taste buds.
- Calcium-activated chloride channels, specifically TMEM16A and TMEM16B, are known to play roles in sensory systems.
- The precise function of type I taste cells remains largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and function of calcium-activated chloride channels in mouse taste cells.
- To determine the specific type of taste cell expressing TMEM16A and TMEM16B.
- To explore the role of TMEM16A in ATP-mediated signaling within taste buds.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was used to detect TMEM16A and TMEM16B expression in taste bud cells.
- Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology was employed to record currents in isolated taste cells.
- Selective TMEM16A inhibitor (Ani-9) and ATP stimulation were used to assess channel function.
Main Results:
- TMEM16A, but not TMEM16B, was expressed in the apical region of type I taste cells.
- Large calcium-activated chloride currents, blocked by Ani-9, were recorded exclusively in type I cells.
- Extracellular ATP stimulation induced these TMEM16A-mediated currents in type I cells.
Conclusions:
- TMEM16A channels are functionally expressed in type I taste cells.
- TMEM16A plays a role in ATP-mediated signaling within the taste bud.
- This study provides foundational insights into the physiological roles of type I taste cells.
Related Concept Videos
01:24The Physiology of Taste
5.1K
The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the...
5.1K
01:20Taste Buds and Receptors
3.3K
Gustation, or the sense of taste, is intrinsically linked to the anatomical structures located on the tongue. This organ's surface, along with the entirety of the oral cavity, is adorned with stratified squamous epithelium. Evident on the tongue are elevated structures known as papillae (singular = papilla), which house the mechanisms for the transduction of gustatory stimuli. Four distinct types of papillae exist, each identified by their unique morphological attributes: the circumvallate,...
3.3K
00:49The Tongue and Taste Buds
38.8K
The surface of the tongue is covered with various small bumps called papillae, which either distribute what has been ingested (filiform papillae) or contain the sensory taste (or gustatory) receptor cells (fungiform, circumvallate, and foliate papillae). Embedded within each taste-related papilla are the taste buds—clusters of 30 to 100 gustatory receptor cells.
38.8K
01:43Gustation
50.4K
Gustation is a chemical sense that, along with olfaction (smell), contributes to our perception of taste. It starts with the activation of receptors by chemical compounds (tastants) dissolved in the saliva. The saliva and filiform papillae on the tongue distribute the tastants and increase their exposure to the taste receptors.
50.4K
01:21G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
5.1K
GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision. The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory...
Sensory...
5.1K
01:30General Transcription Factors
6.1K
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
6.1K