Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 18 November 1988:
Vol. 242. no. 4881, pp. 1047 - 1050
DOI: 10.1126/science.3194756
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Science, Vol 242, Issue 4881, 1047-1050
Copyright © 1988 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

A bitter substance induces a rise in intracellular calcium in a subpopulation of rat taste cells

MH Akabas, J Dodd, and Q Al-Awqati

Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.

The sense of taste permits animals to discriminate between foods that are safe and those that are toxic. Because most poisonous plant alkaloids are intensely bitter, bitter taste warns animals of potentially hazardous foods. To investigate the mechanism of bitter taste transduction, a preparation of dissociated rat taste cells was developed that can be studied with techniques designed for single-cell measurements. Denatonium, a very bitter substance, caused a rise in the intracellular calcium concentration due to release from internal stores in a small subpopulation of taste cells. Thus, the transduction of bitter taste may occur via a receptor-second messenger mechanism leading to neurotransmitter release and may not involve depolarization-mediated calcium entry.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Evidence for Two Populations of Bitter Responsive Taste Cells in Mice.
K. Hacker, A. Laskowski, L. Feng, D. Restrepo, and K. Medler (2008)
J Neurophysiol 99, 1503-1514
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Transduction Channel TRPM5 Is Gated by Intracellular Calcium in Taste Cells.
Z. Zhang, Z. Zhao, R. Margolskee, and E. Liman (2007)
J. Neurosci. 27, 5777-5786
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Taste Responsiveness of Fungiform Taste Cells With Action Potentials.
R. Yoshida, N. Shigemura, K. Sanematsu, K. Yasumatsu, S. Ishizuka, and Y. Ninomiya (2006)
J Neurophysiol 96, 3088-3095
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Separate Populations of Receptor Cells and Presynaptic Cells in Mouse Taste Buds.
R. A. DeFazio, G. Dvoryanchikov, Y. Maruyama, J. W. Kim, E. Pereira, S. D. Roper, and N. Chaudhari (2006)
J. Neurosci. 26, 3971-3980
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Voltage-gated Inward Currents of Morphologically Identified Cells of the Frog Taste Disc.
T. Suwabe and Y. Kitada (2004)
Chem Senses 29, 61-73
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Intracellular Ca2+ and the phospholipid PIP2 regulate the taste transduction ion channel TRPM5.
D. Liu and E. R. Liman (2003)
PNAS 100, 15160-15165
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Dual actions of caffeine on voltage-dependent currents and intracellular calcium in taste receptor cells.
F.-L. Zhao, S.-G. Lu, and S. Herness (2002)
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 283, R115-R129
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Acetylcholine Increases Intracellular Ca2+ in Taste Cells Via Activation of Muscarinic Receptors.
T. Ogura (2002)
J Neurophysiol 87, 2643-2649
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Taste Receptor Cell Responses to the Bitter Stimulus Denatonium Involve Ca2+ Influx Via Store-Operated Channels.
T. Ogura, R. F. Margolskee, and S. C. Kinnamon (2002)
J Neurophysiol 87, 3152-3155
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Distribution of Gustatory Sensitivities in Rat Taste Cells: Whole-Cell Responses to Apical Chemical Stimulation.
T. A. Gilbertson, J. D. Boughter Jr, H. Zhang, and D. V. Smith (2001)
J. Neurosci. 21, 4931-4941
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Electrophysiological Characteristics of Rat Gustatory Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channel Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes.
H. M. Lee, Y. S. Park, W. Kim, and C.-S. Park (2001)
J Neurophysiol 85, 2335-2349
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
IP3 receptor type 3 and PLC{beta}2 are co-expressed with taste receptors T1R and T2R in rat taste bud cells.
M. A. Miyoshi, K. Abe, and Y. Emori (2001)
Chem Senses 26, 259-265
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Bitter taste transduced by PLC-{beta}2-dependent rise in IP3 and {alpha}-gustducin-dependent fall in cyclic nucleotides.
W. Yan, G. Sunavala, S. Rosenzweig, M. Dasso, J. G. Brand, and A. I. Spielman (2001)
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 280, C742-C751
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Taste Receptor Cells That Discriminate Between Bitter Stimuli.
A. Caicedo and S. D. Roper (2001)
Science 291, 1557-1560
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
In Situ Ca2+ Imaging Reveals Neurotransmitter Receptors for Glutamate in Taste Receptor Cells.
A. Caicedo, M. S. Jafri, and S. D. Roper (2000)
J. Neurosci. 20, 7978-7985
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Comprehensive Study on G protein {alpha}-Subunits in Taste Bud Cells, with Special Reference to the Occurrence of G{alpha}i2 as a Major G{alpha} Species.
Y. Kusakabe, A. Yasuoka, M. Asano-Miyoshi, K. Iwabuchi, I. Matsumoto, S. Arai, Y. Emori, and K. Abe (2000)
Chem Senses 25, 525-531
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
G Protein {beta}{gamma} Complexes in Circumvallate Taste Cells Involved in Bitter Transduction.
P. Rossler, I. Boekhoff, E. Tareilus, S. Beck, H. Breer, and J. Freitag (2000)
Chem Senses 25, 413-421
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Focus on "Rapid entry of bitter and sweet tastants into liposomes and taste cells: implications for signal transduction".
J. A. DeSimone (2000)
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 278, C13-C16
   Full Text »    PDF »
IP3-Independent Release of Ca2+ From Intracellular Stores: A Novel Mechanism for Transduction of Bitter Stimuli.
T. Ogura and S. C. Kinnamon (1999)
J Neurophysiol 82, 2657-2666
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Possible Novel Mechanism for Bitter Taste Mediated Through cGMP.
S. Rosenzweig, W. Yan, M. Dasso, and A. I. Spielman (1999)
J Neurophysiol 81, 1661-1665
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Gustducin and its Role in Taste.
A.I. Spielman (1998)
Journal of Dental Research 77, 539-544
   Abstract »    PDF »
Electrophysiological Evidence for Two Transduction Pathways Within a Bitter-Sensitive Taste Receptor.
J. I. Glendinning and T. T. Hills (1997)
J Neurophysiol 78, 734-745
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Bitter Taste Transduction of Denatonium in the Mudpuppy Necturus maculosus.
T. Ogura, A. Mackay-Sim, and S. C. Kinnamon (1997)
J. Neurosci. 17, 3580-3587
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Taste of Monosodium Glutamate: Membrane Receptors in Taste Buds.
N. Chaudhari, H. Yang, C. Lamp, E. Delay, C. Cartford, T. Than, and S. Roper (1996)
J. Neurosci. 16, 3817-3826
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Biochemical and Transgenic Analysis of Gustducin's Role in Bitter and Sweet Transduction.
G.T. Wong, L. Ruiz-Avila, D. Ming, K.S. Gannon, and R.F. Margolskee (1996)
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 61, 173-184
   Abstract »    PDF »
Mediation of responses to calcium in taste cells by modulation of a potassium conductance.
A. Bigiani and S. Roper (1991)
Science 252, 126-128
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)