Abstract
Taste reception is fundamental for the proper selection of food and beverages. Among the several chemicals recognized by the human taste system, sodium ions (Na+) are of particular relevance. Na+ represents the main extracellular cation and is a key factor in many physiological processes. Na+ elicits a specific sensation, called salty taste, and low-medium concentrations of table salt (NaCl, the common sodium-containing chemical we use to season foods) are perceived as pleasant and appetitive. How we detect this cation in foodstuffs is scarcely understood. In animal models, such as the mouse and the rat, the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) has been proposed as a key protein for recognizing Na+ and for mediating preference responses to low-medium salt concentrations. Here, I will review our current understanding regarding the possible involvement of ENaC in the detection of food Na+ by the human taste system.
Highlights
The sodium ion (Na+ ) is an essential mineral for our body because it regulates the osmolality of the extracellular fluid and plays a key role in many physiological processes, from the generation of nerve impulses to renal function
The early events in taste reception typically include the interaction of the chemical stimulus with a membrane receptor in taste cells, specialized epithelial cells clustered in sensory end-organs called taste buds [6]
I will evaluate whether data from human studies fit the model for the detection of Na+ based on ENaC as sodium receptor localized at the apical membrane of taste cells; that is, where these cells contact the saliva in the so-called taste pore region of taste buds [6,7]
Summary
The sodium ion (Na+ ) is an essential mineral for our body because it regulates the osmolality of the extracellular fluid and plays a key role in many physiological processes, from the generation of nerve impulses to renal function. The early events in taste reception typically include the interaction of the chemical stimulus with a membrane receptor in taste cells, specialized epithelial cells clustered in sensory end-organs called taste buds [6]. Most of studies on sodium taste reception have been performed on laboratory rodents (mouse and rat). In these mammals, the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) works as low-salt receptor, mediating acceptance responses to low-medium salt concentrations and driving salt consumption [5]. I will evaluate whether data from human studies fit the model for the detection of Na+ based on ENaC as sodium receptor localized at the apical membrane of taste cells; that is, where these cells contact the saliva in the so-called taste pore region of taste buds [6,7]
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