@article {46189, title = {The neural representation of taste quality at the periphery.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {517}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Jan 15}, pages = {373-6}, abstract = {

The mammalian taste system is responsible for sensing and responding to the five basic taste qualities: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Previously, we showed that each taste is detected by dedicated taste receptor cells (TRCs) on the tongue and palate epithelium. To understand how TRCs transmit information to higher neural centres, we examined the tuning properties of large ensembles of neurons in the first neural station of the gustatory system. Here, we generated and characterized a collection of transgenic mice expressing a genetically encoded calcium indicator in central and peripheral neurons, and used a gradient refractive index microendoscope combined with high-resolution two-photon microscopy to image taste responses from ganglion neurons buried deep at the base of the brain. Our results reveal fine selectivity in the taste preference of ganglion neurons; demonstrate a strong match between TRCs in the tongue and the principal neural afferents relaying taste information to the brain; and expose the highly specific transfer of taste information between taste cells and the central nervous system.

}, keywords = {Animals, Calcium, Geniculate Ganglion, Mice, Mice, Transgenic, Neurons, Taste, Taste Buds, Taste Perception, Tongue}, issn = {1476-4687}, doi = {10.1038/nature13873}, author = {Barretto, Robert P J and Gillis-Smith, Sarah and Chandrashekar, Jayaram and Yarmolinsky, David A and Schnitzer, Mark J and Ryba, Nicholas J P and Zuker, Charles S} } @article {1767, title = {The cells and peripheral representation of sodium taste in mice.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {464}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Mar 11}, pages = {297-301}, abstract = {

Salt taste in mammals can trigger two divergent behavioural responses. In general, concentrated saline solutions elicit robust behavioural aversion, whereas low concentrations of NaCl are typically attractive, particularly after sodium depletion. Notably, the attractive salt pathway is selectively responsive to sodium and inhibited by amiloride, whereas the aversive one functions as a non-selective detector for a wide range of salts. Because amiloride is a potent inhibitor of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), ENaC has been proposed to function as a component of the salt-taste-receptor system. Previously, we showed that four of the five basic taste qualities-sweet, sour, bitter and umami-are mediated by separate taste-receptor cells (TRCs) each tuned to a single taste modality, and wired to elicit stereotypical behavioural responses. Here we show that sodium sensing is also mediated by a dedicated population of TRCs. These taste cells express the epithelial sodium channel ENaC, and mediate behavioural attraction to NaCl. We genetically engineered mice lacking ENaCalpha in TRCs, and produced animals exhibiting a complete loss of salt attraction and sodium taste responses. Together, these studies substantiate independent cellular substrates for all five basic taste qualities, and validate the essential role of ENaC for sodium taste in mice.

}, keywords = {Animals, Behavior, Epithelial Sodium Channel, Mice, Sodium, Taste, Taste Buds, Transgenic}, issn = {1476-4687}, doi = {10.1038/nature08783}, author = {Chandrashekar, Jayaram and Kuhn, Christina and Oka, Yuki and Yarmolinsky, David A and Hummler, Edith and Ryba, Nicholas J P and Zuker, Charles S} } @article {4387, title = {Common sense about taste: from mammals to insects.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {139}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Oct 16}, pages = {234-44}, abstract = {

The sense of taste is a specialized chemosensory system dedicated to the evaluation of food and drink. Despite the fact that vertebrates and insects have independently evolved distinct anatomic and molecular pathways for taste sensation, there are clear parallels in the organization and coding logic between the two systems. There is now persuasive evidence that tastant quality is mediated by labeled lines, whereby distinct and strictly segregated populations of taste receptor cells encode each of the taste qualities.

}, keywords = {Animals, Chemoreceptor Cells, Insects, Mammals, Taste, Taste Buds, Tongue}, issn = {1097-4172}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2009.10.001}, author = {Yarmolinsky, David A and Zuker, Charles S and Ryba, Nicholas J P} }