The heteromer of T1R1 and T1R3 and taste-mGluR4 function as receptors for glutamate (umami) taste sensation (Chaudhari et al., 2000; Nelson et al., 2002). Metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1 (mGluR1α) is expressed in taste receptor cells in rat gustatory papillae (Toyono et al., 2003). It has been known that mGluR1α couples preferentially to an α-subunit of the Gαq family, leading to activat...

Taste receptor cells are the taste sensation elements for sour, salty, sweet, bitter and umami sensations. It was demonstrated that there are cell-to-cell communications between type II (sour) and type III (sweet, bitter and umami) taste cells. Serotonin (5-HT) is released from type III cells, which is the only type of taste cells that has synaptic process with sensory afferent fibers. Then, ta...

A burning sensation of the oral mucosa without any obvious lesions is a defining feature mouth syndrome (BMS), chronic and untreatable orofacial pain syndrome. Women in their later years life who are experiencing hormonal shifts or psychological issues most affected by this ailment. BMS patients also complains mucosa, taste perception changes dry with sensation. Even though exact cause unknown,...

Taste perception depends not only on the chemical and physical properties of tastants, but may also depend on the physiological and psychological conditions of those who do the tasting. In this study, the effects of mood state on taste sensitivity was evaluated in humans who were exposed to conditions of mental or physical fatigue and tension. Taste responses to quinine sulfate (bitter), citric...

Taste function requires neural circuits to transmit gustatory information from taste receptor cells in taste buds, via afferent nerves to the soma of ganglion neurons, and through central ganglion processes into the brainstem. During initial formation, the sensory ganglion neurons have a key situation in establishing receptive fields by extending neurites bidirectionally, to the peripheral tast...

BACKGROUND Burning mouth disorder (BMD) is a burning or stinging sensation affecting the oral mucosa, lips, and/or tongue, in the absence of clinically visible mucosal lesions. There is a strong female predilection, with the age of onset being approximately 50 years. The causes of BMD are multifactorial and remain poorly understood. Often BMD patients report, in association, change in taste. In...

Efforts to unravel the mechanisms underlying taste sensation (gustation) have largely focused on rodents. Here we present the first comprehensive characterization of gene expression in primate taste buds. Our findings reveal unique new insights into the biology of taste buds. We generated a taste bud gene expression database using laser capture microdissection (LCM) procured fungiform (FG) and ...