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Temperature effects on taste preferences are influenced by TRPM8
Kyle T Zumpano1, Christian H Lemon1
1School of Biological Sciences University of Oklahoma, 101 David L. Boren Blvd. Norman, OK 73019 USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|February 27, 2026
Summary
Oral temperature significantly impacts taste perception. Silencing the TRPM8 receptor disrupts sugar taste preferences, suggesting a link between temperature sensing and taste in mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Science
- Taste Perception
Background:
- Oral temperature influences taste perception by modulating trigeminal neurons.
- The interaction between trigeminal thermal sensing and taste perception remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of oral temperature on mouse taste preferences.
- To determine how silencing the TRPM8 (transient receptor potential melastatin 8) receptor affects these temperature-dependent taste responses.
Main Methods:
- Thermolickometry tests were used with female and male TRPM8 gene-deficient and control mice.
- Mice sampled bitter (quinine) and sweet (sucrose/glucose) taste solutions at cool (15°C) and warm (30°C) temperatures.
- Brief-access trials (10-sec) captured oral sensory control of licking behavior.
Main Results:
- Both control and TRPM8 deficient mice showed similar responses to temperature changes for bitter taste.
- Warm temperatures (30°C) enhanced sugar preference in control mice.
- Warm temperatures (30°C) suppressed sugar preference in TRPM8 deficient mice, indicating an aversive response.
Conclusions:
- Trigeminal thermal sensing, specifically via TRPM8, interacts with sweet taste preferences.
- These findings suggest a trigeminal-neural cross-modal interaction influencing taste perception.
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