Publication Date:
2005-12-03
Description:
Taste receptor cells detect chemicals in the oral cavity and transmit this information to taste nerves, but the neurotransmitter(s) have not been identified. We report that adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is the key neurotransmitter in this system. Genetic elimination of ionotropic purinergic receptors (P2X2 and P2X3) eliminates taste responses in the taste nerves, although the nerves remain responsive to touch, temperature, and menthol. Similarly, P2X-knockout mice show greatly reduced behavioral responses to sweeteners, glutamate, and bitter substances. Finally, stimulation of taste buds in vitro evokes release of ATP. Thus, ATP fulfils the criteria for a neurotransmitter linking taste buds to the nervous system.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Finger, Thomas E -- Danilova, Vicktoria -- Barrows, Jennell -- Bartel, Dianna L -- Vigers, Alison J -- Stone, Leslie -- Hellekant, Goran -- Kinnamon, Sue C -- P30 DC04657/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ -- R01 DC00766/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ -- R01 DC06070/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2005 Dec 2;310(5753):1495-9.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center, Aurora CO 80045, USA.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16322458" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Adenosine Triphosphate/*metabolism
;
Animals
;
Chorda Tympani Nerve/*metabolism
;
Glossopharyngeal Nerve/*metabolism
;
Male
;
Mice
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Mice, Knockout
;
Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism
;
Receptors, Purinergic P2/genetics/metabolism
;
Receptors, Purinergic P2X2
;
Receptors, Purinergic P2X3
;
Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3/genetics/metabolism
;
*Signal Transduction
;
Taste Buds/*metabolism
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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