Abstract
Sodium intake is important to maintain proper osmolarity and volume of extracellular fluid in vertebrates. The ability to find sources of sodium ions for managing electrolyte homeostasis relies on the activity of the taste system to sense salt. Several studies have been performed to understand the mechanisms underlying Na+ reception in taste cells, the peripheral detectors for food chemicals. It is now generally accepted that Na+ interacts with specific ion channels in taste cell membrane, called sodium receptors. As ion channels, these proteins mediate transmembrane ion fluxes (that is, electrical currents) during their operation. Thus, a lot of information on the functional properties of sodium receptors has been obtained by using electrophysiological techniques. Here, I review our current knowledge on the biophysical and physiological features of these receptors obtained by applying the patch-clamp recording techniques to single taste cells.
Highlights
Sodium ion represents the main cation of the extracellular fluid in vertebrate body
Sensing Na+ by taste cells in the oral cavity relies on the activity of specific membrane proteins that work as ion channels [5]
Functional ENaCs are usually located predominantly in taste cells of the anterior part of the tongue, namely at the level of fungiform papillae, whereas AI component prevails in the circumvallate papillae in the back of the tongue [27], this pattern cannot be generalized [28]
Summary
Sodium ion represents the main cation of the extracellular fluid in vertebrate body. Na+ has to be ingested with foodstuffs to balance its loss through, for example, urine and sweat. Sensing Na+ by taste cells in the oral cavity relies on the activity of specific membrane proteins (sodium receptors) that work as ion channels [5]. I will review our current understanding of the biophysical and functional properties of sodium receptors as de-. (2016) Electrophysiology of Sodium Receptors in Taste Cells. A. Bigiani duced by applying the technique of patch-clamp recording to single taste cells. A lot of studies on sodium reception have been performed by recording the activity of fibers in taste nerves (chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal) while stimulating the tongue with salt solutions. I will not describe these experiments here because nerve recording techniques monitor the integrated, encoded output from taste buds, that is, downstream of the initial events of sodium detection and transduction. Extensive literature and nice reviews on this topic are already available [7]-[12]
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