Ascl1-expressing cell differentiation in initially developed taste buds and taste organoids

Mammalian taste bud cells are composed of several distinct cell types and differentiated from surrounding tongue epithelial cells. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying their differentiation have yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined an Ascl1-expressing cell lineage using circumvallate papillae (CVP) of newborn mice and taste organoids (three-dimensional self-organized tissue cultures), which allow studying the differentiation of taste bud cells in fine detail ex vivo. Using lineage-tracing analysis, we observed that Ascl1 lineage cells expressed type II and III taste cell markers both CVP of newborn mice and taste organoids. However, the coexpression rate in type II cells was lower than that in type III cells. Furthermore, we found that the generation of the cells which express type II and III cell markers was suppressed in taste organoids lacking Ascl1-expressing cells. These findings suggest that Ascl1-expressing precursor cells can differentiate into both type III and a subset of type II taste cells.