Authors: Miura, Hirohito¹; Kato, Hiromi¹; Kusakabe, Yuko¹; Ninomiya, Yuzo²; Hino, Akihiro¹

Source: Chemical Senses, Volume 30, Number 4, May 2005 , pp. 367-375(9)

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract:

Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is a type III cell marker in the taste buds. In order to clarify the cell type of Mash1-expressing cells in taste buds, expression of NCAM was examined in Mash1-expressing taste cells of adult mice in comparison with gustducin- and T1r3-expressing cells, using a combination of NCAM immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. About 98% of Mash1-expressing cells were NCAM immunopositive (IP), suggesting that Mash1-expressing cells should be categorized as type III cells. Unexpectedly, small subsets of gustducin- and T1r3-expressing cells were also found to be NCAM-IP, contradicting previous immunohistochemical studies in rats, in which gustducin-IP cells were observed specifically in type II cells, which do not have NCAM immunoreactivity. Examinations of developing taste buds showed temporal changes in the ratio of NCAM-IP cells in gustducin- and T1r3-expressing cells; the ratio of NCAM-IP cells in these gene-expressing cells were 90% at 0.5 days after birth and decreased markedly during development. In contrast, the majority of Mash1-expressing cells showed constant NCAM immunoreactivity throughout development. In addition, BrdU-labeling experiments showed that the differentiation of Mash1-expressing cells precedes those of gustducin- and T1r3-expressing cells in taste buds of adult mice. These results suggest that T1r3- and gustducin-expressing cells are NCAM-IP at the beginning of cell differentiation, and that NCAM immunoreactivity in gustducin- and T1r3-expressing cells might remain from the previous developmental stage expressing Mash1.

Keywords: cell lineage; Mash1; neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM); taste bud; T1r3

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bji031

Affiliations: 1: National Food Research Institute, 2-1-12 Kannondai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8642, Japan, 2: Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN), 3-18-19 Toranomon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan and

Publication date: 2005-05-01

More about this publication?

• Chemical Senses publishes original research and review papers on all aspects of chemoreception in both humans and animals. An important part of the journal's coverage is devoted to techniques and the development and application of new methods for investigating chemoreception and chemosensory structures.

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