Abstract
Taste buds containing receptor cells that primarily detect one taste quality provide the basis for discrimination across taste qualities. The molecular receptor multiplicity and the interactions occurring between bud cells encode information about the chemical identity, nutritional value, and potential toxicity of stimuli before transmitting signals to the hindbrain. PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) tasting is widely considered a marker for individual variations of taste perception, dietary preferences, and health. However, controversial data have been reported. We present measures of the peripheral gustatory system activation in response to taste qualities by electrophysiological recordings from the tongue of 39 subjects classified for PROP taster status. The waveform of the potential variation evoked depended on the taste quality of the stimulus. Direct relationships between PROP sensitivity and electrophysiological responses to taste qualities were found. The largest and fastest responses were recorded in PROP super-tasters, who had the highest papilla density, whilst smaller and slower responses were found in medium tasters and non-tasters with lower papilla densities. The intensities perceived by subjects of the three taster groups correspond to their electrophysiological responses for all stimuli except NaCl. Our results show that each taste quality can generate its own electrophysiological fingerprint on the tongue and provide direct evidence of the relationship between general taste perception and PROP phenotype.
Highlights
Taste buds are the peripheral organs of the gustatory system and are located on the surface of three different taste papillae, which are topographically arranged mostly on the tongue epithelium.These include the fungiform papillae on the anterior surface, foliate papillae on the lateral sides, and circumvallate papillae on the posterior part
The electrophysiological recordings from the human tongue allowed the measurement of monophasic bioelectrical potential changes in response to taste stimulations, with respect to the baseline
The first aim of this work was to characterize the electrophysiological responses evoked in taste buds on a localized area of the human tongue by stimulation with the six taste qualities, as a direct and buds on a localized area of the human tongue by stimulation with the six taste qualities, as a direct quantitative measure of the degree of activation of the peripheral taste system generated by each taste and quantitative measure of the degree of activation of the peripheral taste system generated by each stimulus
Summary
Taste buds are the peripheral organs of the gustatory system and are located on the surface of three different taste papillae, which are topographically arranged mostly on the tongue epithelium. These include the fungiform papillae on the anterior surface, foliate papillae on the lateral sides, and circumvallate papillae on the posterior part. Taste buds are clusters of 50–100 different types of columnar taste cells extending from the base to the top of the cluster, in which the mechanisms of taste reception and transduction are located [1]. The detection of stimuli occurs at the chemosensory apical tip of taste cells where the molecular receptors for chemicals are located. Stimulation of type II cell molecular receptors by specific stimuli activates the following molecular/electrophysiological mechanisms: release of G protein (Gβγ) dimers, stimulation of phospholipase Cβ2, mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ [10,11], opening of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member
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