HVEM serial-section analysis of rabbit foliate taste buds: I. Type III cells and their synapses

Physiology of the tongue with emphasis on taste transduction

The tongue is a complex multifunctional organ that interacts and senses both interoceptively and exteroceptively. Although it is easily visible to almost all of us, it is relatively understudied and what is in the literature is often contradictory or is not comprehensively reported. The tongue is both a motor and a sensory organ: motor in that it is required for speech and mastication, and sensory in that it receives information to be relayed to the central nervous system pertaining to the safety and quality of the contents of the oral cavity. Additionally, the tongue and its taste apparatus form part of an innate immune surveillance system. For example, loss or alteration in taste perception can be an early indication of infection as became evident during the present global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Here, we particularly emphasize the latest updates in the mechanisms of taste perception, taste bud formation and adult taste bud renewal, and the presence and effects of hormones on taste perception, review the understudied lingual immune system with specific reference to SARS-CoV-2, discuss nascent work on tongue microbiome, as well as address the effect of systemic disease on tongue structure and function, especially in relation to taste.

The presynaptic active zone protein Bassoon as a marker for synapses between Type III cells and afferent nerve fibers in taste buds

Taste buds are receptor organs for gustation. Two types of taste receptor cells have been identified in taste buds: Type II and Type III cells. Type III cells connect with afferent fibers through conventional chemical synapses. In the present study, we used immunocytochemistry to examine the distribution pattern of Bassoon, a scaffolding protein of the cytomatrix at the active zones of conventional synapses in mouse taste buds. Bassoon was predominantly detected as small puncta in Type III cells. Bassoon-immunoreactive puncta were observed in proximity to or partially overlapping with intragemmal nerve fibers. The distribution pattern of Bassoon in taste buds was similar among circumvallate, fungiform, and foliate taste buds. Immunoelectron microscopy showed Bassoon at the active zones of the conventional synapses of Type III cells in circumvallate taste buds. The present results demonstrate that Bassoon is a marker for synapses between Type III cells and afferent fibers in mouse taste buds.

Overlapping distributions of mammalian types I, II, and III taste cell markers in chicken taste buds

Mammalian taste buds comprise types I, II, and III taste cells, with each type having specific characteristics: glia-like supporting cells (type I), taste receptor cells (type II), and presynaptic cells (type III). In this study, to characterize the peripheral taste-sensing systems in chickens, we analyzed the distributions of the mammalian types I, II, and III taste cell markers in chicken taste buds: glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) for type I; taste receptor type 1 members 1 and 3 (T1R1 and T1R3), taste receptor type 2 member 7 (T2R7), and α-gustducin for type II; and synaptosomal protein 25 (SNAP25) and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) for type III. We found that most GLAST⁺ taste cells expressed α-gustducin and SNAP25 and that high percentages of T1R3⁺ or α-gustducin⁺ taste cells expressed SNAP25 and NCAM. These results demonstrated a unique subset of chicken taste cells expressing multiple taste cell type marker proteins. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the taste-sensing mechanisms in vertebrate taste buds.

Quantitative Analysis of Taste Bud Cell Numbers in the Circumvallate and Foliate Taste Buds of Mice

A mouse single taste bud contains 10-100 taste bud cells (TBCs) in which the elongated TBCs are classified into 3 cell types (types I-III) equipped with different taste receptors. Accordingly, differences in the cell numbers and ratios of respective cell types per taste bud may affect taste-nerve responsiveness. Here, we examined the numbers of each immunoreactive cell for the type II (sweet, bitter, or umami receptor cells) and type III (sour and/or salt receptor cells) markers per taste bud in the circumvallate and foliate papillae and compared these numerical features of TBCs per taste bud to those in fungiform papilla and soft palate, which we previously reported. In circumvallate and foliate taste buds, the numbers of TBCs and immunoreactive cells per taste bud increased as a linear function of the maximal cross-sectional taste bud area. Type II cells made up approximately 25% of TBCs irrespective of the regions from which the TBCs arose. In contrast, type III cells in circumvallate and foliate taste buds made up approximately 11% of TBCs, which represented almost 2 times higher than what was observed in the fungiform and soft palate taste buds. The densities (number of immunoreactive cells per taste bud divided by the maximal cross-sectional area of the taste bud) of types II and III cells per taste bud are significantly higher in the circumvallate papillae than in the other regions. The effects of these region-dependent differences on the taste response of the taste bud are discussed.

A Pharmacological Perspective on the Study of Taste

The study of taste has been guided throughout much of its history by the conceptual framework of psychophysics, where the focus was on quantification of the subjective experience of the taste sensations. By the mid-20th century, data from physiologic studies had accumulated sufficiently to assemble a model for the function of receptors that must mediate the initial stimulus of tastant molecules in contact with the tongue. But the study of taste as a receptor-mediated event did not gain momentum until decades later when the actual receptor proteins and attendant signaling mechanisms were identified and localized to the highly specialized taste-responsive cells of the tongue. With those discoveries a new opportunity to examine taste as a function of receptor activity has come into focus. Pharmacology is the science designed specifically for the experimental interrogation and quantitative characterization of receptor function at all levels of inquiry from molecules to behavior. This review covers the history of some of the major concepts that have shaped thinking and experimental approaches to taste, the seminal discoveries that have led to elucidation of receptors for taste, and how applying principles of receptor pharmacology can enhance understanding of the mechanisms of taste physiology and perception.

Invaginating Structures in Mammalian Synapses

Invaginating structures at chemical synapses in the mammalian nervous system exist in presynaptic axon terminals, postsynaptic spines or dendrites, and glial processes. These invaginating structures can be divided into three categories. The first category includes slender protrusions invaginating into axonal terminals, postsynaptic spines, or glial processes. Best known examples of this category are spinules extending from postsynaptic spines into presynaptic terminals in forebrain synapses. Another example of this category are protrusions from inhibitory presynaptic terminals invaginating into postsynaptic neuronal somas. Regardless of the direction and location, the invaginating structures of the first category do not have synaptic active zones within the invagination. The second category includes postsynaptic spines invaginating into presynaptic terminals, whereas the third category includes presynaptic terminals invaginating into postsynaptic spines or dendrites. Unlike the first category, the second and third categories have active zones within the invagination. An example of the second category are mossy terminal synapses of the hippocampal CA3 region, in which enlarged spine-like structures invaginate partly or entirely into mossy terminals. An example of the third category is the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) where substantial invaginations of the presynaptic terminals invaginate into the muscle fibers. In the retina, rod and cone synapses have invaginating processes from horizontal and bipolar cells. Because horizontal cells act both as post and presynaptic structures, their invaginating processes represent both the second and third category. These invaginating structures likely play broad yet specialized roles in modulating neuronal cell signaling.

Type III Cells in Anterior Taste Fields Are More Immunohistochemically Diverse Than Those of Posterior Taste Fields in Mice

Activation of Type III cells in mammalian taste buds is implicated in the transduction of acids (sour) and salty stimuli. Several lines of evidence suggest that function of Type III cells in the anterior taste fields may differ from that of Type III cells in posterior taste fields. Underlying anatomy to support this observation is, however, scant. Most existing immunohistochemical data characterizing this cell type focus on circumvallate taste buds in the posterior tongue. Equivalent data from anterior taste fields-fungiform papillae and soft palate-are lacking. Here, we compare Type III cells in four taste fields: fungiform, soft palate, circumvallate, and foliate in terms of reactivity to four canonical markers of Type III cells: polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 (PKD2L1), synaptosomal associated protein 25 (SNAP25), serotonin (5-HT), and glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67). Our findings indicate that while PKD2L1, 5-HT, and SNAP25 are highly coincident in posterior taste fields, they diverge in anterior taste fields. In particular, a subset of taste cells expresses PKD2L1 without the synaptic markers, and a subset of SNAP25 cells lacks expression of PKD2L1. In posterior taste fields, GAD67-positive cells are a subset of PKD2L1 expressing taste cells, but anterior taste fields also contain a significant population of GAD67-only expressing cells. These differences in expression patterns may underlie the observed functional differences between anterior and posterior taste fields.

The ATP permeability of pannexin 1 channels in a heterologous system and in mammalian taste cells is dispensable

Afferent output in type II taste cells is mediated by ATP liberated through ion channels. It is widely accepted that pannexin 1 (Panx1) channels are responsible for ATP release in diverse cell types, including taste cells. While biophysical evidence implicates slow deactivation of ion channels following ATP release in taste cells, recombinant Panx1 activates and deactivates rapidly. This inconsistency could indicate that the cellular context specifies Panx1 functioning. We cloned Panx1 from murine taste tissue, and heterologously expressed it in three different cell lines: HEK-293, CHO and neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells. In all three cell lines, Panx1 transfection yielded outwardly rectifying anion channels that exhibited fast gating and negligible permeability to anions exceeding 250 Da. Despite expression of Panx1, the host cells did not liberate ATP upon stimulation, making it unclear whether Panx1 is involved in taste-related ATP secretion. This issue was addressed using mice with genetic ablation of the Panx1 gene. The ATP-biosensor assay revealed that, in taste cells devoid of Panx1, ATP secretion was robust and apparently unchanged compared with the control. Our data suggest that Panx1 alone forms a channel that has insufficient permeability to ATP. Perhaps, a distinct subunit and/or a regulatory circuit that is absent in taste cells is required to enable a high ATP-permeability mode of a native Panx1-based channel.

Taste receptor signalling - from tongues to lungs

Taste buds are the transducing endorgans of gustation. Each taste bud comprises 50-100 elongated cells, which extend from the basal lamina to the surface of the tongue, where their apical microvilli encounter taste stimuli in the oral cavity. Salts and acids utilize apically located ion channels for transduction, while bitter, sweet and umami (glutamate) stimuli utilize G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and second-messenger signalling mechanisms. This review will focus on GPCR signalling mechanisms. Two classes of taste GPCRs have been identified, the T1Rs for sweet and umami (glutamate) stimuli and the T2Rs for bitter stimuli. These low affinity GPCRs all couple to the same downstream signalling effectors that include Gβγ activation of phospholipase Cβ2, 1,4,5-inositol trisphosphate mediated release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores and Ca(2+) -dependent activation of the monovalent selective cation channel, TrpM5. These events lead to membrane depolarization, action potentials and release of ATP as a transmitter to activate gustatory afferents. The Gα subunit, α-gustducin, activates a phosphodiesterase to decrease intracellular cAMP levels, although the precise targets of cAMP have not been identified. With the molecular identification of the taste GPCRs, it has become clear that taste signalling is not limited to taste buds, but occurs in many cell types of the airways. These include solitary chemosensory cells, ciliated epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Bitter receptors are most abundantly expressed in the airways, where they respond to irritating chemicals and promote protective airway reflexes, utilizing the same downstream signalling effectors as taste cells.

A2BR adenosine receptor modulates sweet taste in circumvallate taste buds

In response to taste stimulation, taste buds release ATP, which activates ionotropic ATP receptors (P2X2/P2X3) on taste nerves as well as metabotropic (P2Y) purinergic receptors on taste bud cells. The action of the extracellular ATP is terminated by ectonucleotidases, ultimately generating adenosine, which itself can activate one or more G-protein coupled adenosine receptors: A1, A2A, A2B, and A3. Here we investigated the expression of adenosine receptors in mouse taste buds at both the nucleotide and protein expression levels. Of the adenosine receptors, only A2B receptor (A2BR) is expressed specifically in taste epithelia. Further, A2BR is expressed abundantly only in a subset of taste bud cells of posterior (circumvallate, foliate), but not anterior (fungiform, palate) taste fields in mice. Analysis of double-labeled tissue indicates that A2BR occurs on Type II taste bud cells that also express Gα14, which is present only in sweet-sensitive taste cells of the foliate and circumvallate papillae. Glossopharyngeal nerve recordings from A2BR knockout mice show significantly reduced responses to both sucrose and synthetic sweeteners, but normal responses to tastants representing other qualities. Thus, our study identified a novel regulator of sweet taste, the A2BR, which functions to potentiate sweet responses in posterior lingual taste fields.

The cell biology of taste

Taste buds are aggregates of 50–100 polarized neuroepithelial cells that detect nutrients and other compounds. Combined analyses of gene expression and cellular function reveal an elegant cellular organization within the taste bud. This review discusses the functional classes of taste cells, their cell biology, and current thinking on how taste information is transmitted to the brain.

The general architecture of sensory neuroepithelia

All neuroepithelia are sheets of cells lining an internal or external surface of the body and resting on a basement membrane. They consist of at least two kinds of cell, receptor cells and sustentacular (supporting) cells. Some contain undifferentiated precursor cells and senescent or degenerating cells. The potential for plasticity and regeneration in different sensory neuroepithelia varies widely according to their origins and structure in any individual animal and according to the species in which they occur. Four sensory neuroepithelia are described as examples of the range of construction, complexity, and life history.

Qualitative and quantitative differences between taste buds of the rat and mouse

Background

Numerous electrophysiological, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical studies on rodent taste buds have been carried out on rat taste buds. In recent years, however, the mouse has become the species of choice for molecular and other studies on sensory transduction in taste buds. Do rat and mouse taste buds have the same cell types, sensory transduction markers and synaptic proteins? In the present study we have used antisera directed against PLCβ2, α-gustducin, serotonin (5-HT), PGP 9.5 and synaptobrevin-2 to determine the percentages of taste cells expressing these markers in taste buds in both rodent species. We also determined the numbers of taste cells in the taste buds as well as taste bud volume.

Results

There are significant differences (p < 0.05) between mouse and rat taste buds in the percentages of taste cells displaying immunoreactivity for all five markers. Rat taste buds display significantly more immunoreactivity than mice for PLCβ2 (31.8% vs 19.6%), α-gustducin (18% vs 14.6%), and synaptobrevin-2 (31.2% vs 26.3%). Mice, however, have more cells that display immunoreactivity to 5-HT (15.9% vs 13.7%) and PGP 9.5 (14.3% vs 9.4%). Mouse taste buds contain an average of 85.8 taste cells vs 68.4 taste cells in rat taste buds. The average volume of a mouse taste bud (42,000 μm³) is smaller than a rat taste bud (64,200 μm³). The numerical density of taste cells in mouse circumvallate taste buds (2.1 cells/1000 μm³) is significantly higher than that in the rat (1.2 cells/1000 μm³).

Conclusion

These results suggest that rats and mice differ significantly in the percentages of taste cells expressing signaling molecules. We speculate that these observed dissimilarities may reflect differences in their gustatory processing.

Structure of bovine fungiform taste buds and their immunoreactivity for gustducin

The taste buds of bovine fungiform papillae were studied by light and electron microscopy using both histological and immunohistochemical methods. The taste buds existed in the epithelium of the apical region of the papillae. By electron microscopy, two types of taste cells, namely type I and type II cells, could be classified according to the presence of dense-cored vesicles, the cytoplasmic density and the cell shape. Type I cells were thin, had an electron-dense cytoplasm containing dense-cored vesicles, and possessed long thick apical processes in the taste pore. Type II cells were thick, had an electron-lucent cytoplasm containing many electron-lucent vesicles, rather than dense-cored vesicles, and possessed microvilli in the taste pore. Immunohistochemical staining with an antiserum against gustducin was investigated by both light and electron microscopy using the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) method. Some, but not all, of the type II cells exhibited gustducin immunoreactivity, whereas none of the type I cells showed any immunoreactivity.

Axon-like processes in type III cells of taste organs

Type III cells of the taste organs are widely considered to be chemoreceptors. The present study was performed on the frog taste disk and describes an axon-like process in type III cells, which often contains a bundle of densely-packed parallel microfilaments. These processes pass through the basal membrane of the gustatory epithelium, running into the lamina propria (transbasal membrane processes, tBMPs). In their intraepithelial tract, tBMPs contain dense-cored vesicles revealing their origin from type III cells. Type III cells showing both classic nonrigid processes (with vesicles and nerve contacts) and tBMPs are present. The connective tract of a tBMP usually contains dense-cored vesicles only in its proximal portion. In some cases, the connective tract of tBMPs is almost perpendicular to the basal lamina. In other cases, it runs parallel to and below the basal lamina. Some tBMPs contact nerve fibers running in the subepithelial connective tissue; the contact area is rather wide but evident synapse-like junctions were never detected. Contacts between tBMPs and nerve fibers innervating basal cells are also found. In conclusion, the data demonstrate the existence of epithelial cells resembling primitive neurons that display an apical dendrite and axon-like basal processes. Until now, it was not considered possible that epithelial receptor cells extend processes out of the epithelium.

Synaptobrevin-2-like immunoreactivity is associated with vesicles at synapses in rat circumvallate taste buds

Synaptobrevin is a vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) that is believed to play a critical role with presynaptic membrane proteins (SNAP-25 and syntaxin) during regulated synaptic vesicle docking and exocytosis of neurotransmitter at the central nervous system. Synaptic contacts between taste cells and nerve processes have been found to exist, but little is known about synaptic vesicle docking and neurotransmitter release at taste cell synapses. Previously we demonstrated that immunoreactivity to SNAP-25 is present in taste cells with synapses. Our present results show that synaptobrevin-2-like immunoreactivity (-LIR) is present in approximately 35% of the taste cells in rat circumvallate taste buds. Synaptobrevin-2-LIR colocalizes with SNAP-25-, serotonin-, and protein gene product 9.5-LIR. Synaptobrevin-2-LIR also colocalizes with immunoreactivity for type III inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor (IP3R3), a taste-signaling molecule in taste cells. All IP3R3-LIR taste cells express synaptobrevin-2-LIR. However, approximately 27% of the synaptobrevin-2-LIR taste cells do not display IP3R3-LIR. We believe, based on ultrastructural and biochemical features, that both type II and type III taste cells display synaptobrevin-2-LIR. All of the synapses that we observed from taste cells onto nerve processes express synaptobrevin-2-LIR, as well as some taste cells without synapses. By using colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy, we found that synaptobrevin-2-LIR is associated with synaptic vesicles at rat taste cell synapses. The results of this study suggest that soluble NSF attachment receptor (SNARE) machinery may control synaptic vesicle fusion and exocytosis at taste cell synapses.

Immunoelectron microscopic studies on protein gene product 9.5 and calcitonin gene-related peptide in vallate taste cells and related nerves in the guinea pig

On the basis of our previous report that protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5)-immunoreactive nerve fibers and taste cells and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive nerve fibers are found in guinea pig vallate papillae [Huang and Lu (1996b) Arch. Histol. Cytol. 59:433-441]. We speculated that PGP 9.5 might be a marker for taste receptor cells and that CGRP might play an important role in taste transmission. We, therefore, performed an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis of taste cells and related nerves in guinea pig vallate papillae. In the connective tissue of the vallate papilla, the ultrastructural data revealed that the PGP 9.5-immunoreactive nerve fibers were both myelinated and unmyelinated. The CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were unmyelinated and surrounded by the cytoplasm of Schwann cells as were the non-immunoreactive fibers. In the vallate taste buds, only type III cells, which make synaptic contacts with intragemmal nerves, were PGP 9.5-immunoreactive, while the nerve terminals making synaptic contact with the underlying type III cells were CGRP-immunoreactive. From these observations, we conclude that: (1) PGP 9.5 might be a useful specific marker for type III cells in guinea pig vallate taste buds; and (2) CGRP-containing nerve fibers might be primarily involved in the neural transmission of taste stimuli.

Calcium signaling mediated by P2Y receptors in mouse taste cells

Evidence implicates a number of neuroactive substances and their receptors in mediating complex cell-to-cell communications in the taste bud. Recently, we found that ATP, a ubiquitous neurotransmitter/neuromodulator, mobilizes intracellular Ca2+ in taste cells by activating P2Y receptors. Here, P2Y receptor-cellular response coupling was characterized in detail using single cell ratio photometry and the inhibitory analysis. The sequence of underlying events was shown to include ATP-dependent activation of PLC, IP3 production, and IP3 receptor-mediated Ca2+ release followed by Ca2+ influx. Data obtained favor SOC channels rather than receptor-operated channels as a pathway for Ca2+ influx that accompanies Ca2+ release. Intracellular Ca2+ mobilized by ATP is apparently extruded by the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase, while a contribution of the Na+/Ca2+ exchange and other mechanisms of Ca2+ clearance is negligible. Cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation is likely to control a gain of the phosphoinositide cascade involved in ATP transduction. ATP-responsive taste cells are abundant in circumvallate, foliate, and fungiform papillae. Taken together, our observations point to a putative role for ATP as a neurotransmitter operative in the taste bud.

Bovine circumvallate taste buds: taste cell structure and immunoreactivity to alpha-gustducin

The taste buds of bovine circumvallate papillae were investigated under light and electron microscopy both by histological and immunohistochemical methods. Taste buds existed in the inner epithelium of the trench of the papillae. Under electron microscopy, two types of taste cells, type I and type II, could be classified according to the existence of dense-cored vesicles and cytoplasmic density. Type I had electron-lucent cytoplasm and possessed many electron-dense cored vesicles in the apical cytoplasm. It was considered that the electron-dense materials of the vesicles were released and constituted the pore substance. This type of cell possessed long and thick apical processes in the taste pore. Type II had denser electron cytoplasm compared with that of type I and possessed many electron-lucent vesicles in the apical cytoplasm. This type of cell possessed microvilli in the taste pore. To know the immunoreactivity to alpha-gustducin in bovine circumvallate taste buds, we used the immunoblotting method and the immunohistochemical method. The alpha-gustducin reaction band at 40 kDa was displayed in the specimen of Western blots. The immunohistochemical property of the antiserum to alpha-gustducin was investigated by using the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) method and the 1.4-nm gold and silver enhancement methods. A subset of taste cells showed the immunoreactivity under light microscopy. The electron microscopic specimens with the 1.4-nm gold and silver enhancement method revealed that only type II cells exhibited the alpha-gustducin immunoreactivity.

"Type III" cells of rat taste buds: immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies of neuron-specific enolase, protein gene product 9.5, and serotonin

Taste buds contain a variety of morphological and histochemical types of elongate cells. Serotonin, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase (PGP 9.5), and neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) all have been described as being present in the morphologically defined Type III taste cells in rats. In order to determine whether these substances coexist in a single cell, we undertook immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis of taste buds in rats. Double-label studies show that PGP 9.5 and NSE always colocalize. In contrast, PGP 9.5 and serotonin seldom colocalize. Further, whereas the serotonin-immunoreactive cells are always slender and elongate, the PGP 9.5/NSE population comprise two morphological types--one slender, the other broader and pyriform. Although gustducin-immunoreactive taste cells appear similar in overall shape to the pyriform PGP 9.5/NSE population, gustducin never colocalizes with PGP 9.5 or NSE. The serotonin-immunoreactive taste cells have an invaginated nucleus, synaptic contacts with nerve fibers, and taper apically to a single, large microvillus. These are all characteristics of Type III taste cells described previously in rabbits (Murray [1973] Ultrastructure of Sensory Organs I. Amsterdam: North Holland. p 1-81). PGP 9.5-immunoreactive taste cells exhibit two morphological varieties. One type is similar to the serotonin-immunoreactive population, containing an invaginated nucleus, synapses with nerve fibers, and a single large microvillus. The other type of PGP 9.5-immunoreactive taste cell has a large round nucleus and the apical end of the cell tapers to a tuft of short microvilli, which are characteristics of Type II taste cells. Thus, in rats, some Type III cells accumulate serotonin but do not express PGP 9.5, whereas others express PGP 9.5 but do not accumulate amines. Similarly, Type II taste cells come in at least two varieties: those immunoreactive for gustducin and those immunoreactive for PGP 9.5.

Ultrastructure of the taste buds in the blind cave fish Astyanax jordani ("Anoptichthys") and the sighted river fish Astyanax mexicanus (Teleostei, Characidae)

This study describes the ultrastructure of the taste buds of the sighted river fish Astyanax mexicanus and of the blind cave fish Astyanax jordani (= Anoptichthys) (Teleostei, Characiformes, Characidae). In Astyanax and Anoptichthys, taste buds occur in the epithelia of the lips, oral cavity, and, in Anoptichthys, lower jaw. Both possess three types of taste buds: type I (elevated), type II (slightly elevated), and type III taste buds (not elevated or sunken). The taste buds are up to 60 microm high and up to 35 microm wide. The taste bud's sensory epithelium consists of 100--130 elongated cells: light cells, dense-cored-vesicles (dcv) -cells, dark cells, and degenerating cells. The dcv-cells are rich in dense-cored vesicles and are described for the first time in a teleostean taste bud. At the taste bud's base, there lie two to three basal cells. The basal cells of type I and type II taste buds have microvillus (spine)-like processes, in contrast to those of type III taste buds. The taste bud's nerve fiber plexus is situated between the bases of the elongated taste bud cells and the basal cells. Afferent synapses occur between dcv-cells and basal cells (presynaptic sides) and axons (postsynaptic side). Indistinct synapses occur between light cells and dark cells (presynaptic sides) and axons (postsynaptic side). The nerve fiber plexes of Anoptichthys type II and type III taste buds contain significantly more axon profiles than those of Astyanax. This may be associated with a compensatory improvement of the sense of taste in the blind, cave-dwelling fish.

Taste cells with synapses in rat circumvallate papillae display SNAP-25-like immunoreactivity

SNAP-25 is a 25 kDa protein believed to be involved in the processes of membrane fusion and exocytosis associated with neurotransmitter release. In the present study we present evidence that SNAP-25-like immunoreactivity can be used as a marker for taste cells with synapses in rat circumvallate papillae. SNAP-25 immunoreactivity is present in most intragemmal nerve processes and a small subset of taste cells. Intense immunoreactivity is associated with the nerve plexus located below the base of the taste bud. Of a total of 87 taste cells with synapses onto nerve processes, 80 of the presynaptic taste cells had SNAP-25 immunoreactivity. The association of SNAP-25 immunoreactivity with taste cells possessing synapses suggests that these cells may be gustatory receptor cells. Because this SNAP-25 antibody can label taste cells with synapses, it may also serve as a useful tool for future studies correlating structure with function in the taste bud.

Cellular mechanisms of taste transduction

Taste receptor cells respond to gustatory stimuli using a complex arrangement of receptor molecules, signaling cascades, and ion channels. When stimulated, these cells produce action potentials that result in the release of neurotransmitter onto an afferent nerve fiber that in turn relays the identity and intensity of the gustatory stimuli to the brain. A variety of mechanisms are used in transducing the four primary tastes. Direct interaction of the stimuli with ion channels appears to be of particular importance in transducing stimuli reported as salty or sour, whereas the second messenger systems cyclic AMP and inositol trisphosphate are important in transducing bitter and sweet stimuli. In addition to the four basic tastes, specific mechanisms exist for the amino acid glutamate, which is sometimes termed the fifth primary taste, and for fatty acids, a so-called nonconventional taste stimulus. The emerging picture is that not only do individual taste qualities use more than one mechanism, but multiple pathways are available for individual tastants as well.

Light and dark cells of rat vallate taste buds are morphologically distinct cell types

Cells of mammalian taste buds have been classified into morphological types based on ultrastructural criteria, but investigators have disagreed as to whether these are distinct cell types or the extremes of a continuum. To address this issue, we examined taste buds from rat vallate papillae that had been sectioned transversely, rather than longitudinally, to their longest axis. In these transverse sections, dark (Type I) and light (Type II) cells were easily distinguished by their relative electron density, shape and topological relationships. Cells with electron-lucent cytoplasm (light cells) were circular or oval in outline, while those with electron-dense cytoplasm (dark cells) had an irregular outline with sheetlike cytoplasmic projections that separated adjacent light cells. A hierarchical cluster analysis of 314 cells across five morphological parameters (cell shape and area, and nuclear ellipticity, electron density and invagination) revealed two distinct groups of cells, which largely corresponded to the dark and light cells identified visually. These cells were not continuously distributed within a principal components factor solution. Differences in the means for dark and light cells were highly significant for each morphological parameter, but within either cell type, changes in one parameter correlated little with changes in any other. These analyses all failed to reveal cells with a consistent set of intermediate characteristics, suggesting that dark and light cells of rat vallate taste buds are distinct cell types rather than extremes of a continuum. Sections of taste buds were stained with antibodies to several carbohydrates, then observed by indirect immunofluorescence. Optical sections taken with a confocal laser-scanning microscope showed that the Lewis antigen was present only on spindle-shaped cells with circular or oval outlines and lacking transverse projections; these characteristic shapes matched those of light cells seen by electron microscopy. The H blood group antigen and the 2B8 epitope appeared at most cell-cell interfaces in the bud and are present on dark cells and possibly on some light cells. These findings relate molecular markers to morphological phenotypes and should facilitate future studies of taste cell turnover, development and regeneration.

Localization of serotonin in taste buds: a comparative study in four vertebrates

To investigate monoaminergic synaptic mechanisms in taste buds, we examined taste buds of mice, rats, rabbits, and mudpuppies for the presence of the neurotransmitter candidate, serotonin. Immunocytochemistry revealed serotonin-like immunostaining in cells in mammalian taste buds and Merkel-like basal cells in taste buds of mudpuppies. In untreated mudpuppies and in mammals injected with the precursor to serotonin, L-tryptophan, certain taste cells showed serotonin-like immunoreactivity, although in mammalian taste buds the immunostaining was relatively weak. After pretreating mammals with 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the intermediate precursor between L-tryptophan and serotonin, several taste cells showed strong immunoreactivity for serotonin. These findings indicate that mammalian taste cells normally contain serotonin and that taste cells can take up 5-HTP and convert it to serotonin. Immunocytochemistry on wholemount preparations demonstrated that serotonergic cells of mudpuppies (i.e., Merkel-like basal cells) were disposed in a ring at the periphery of taste buds. Similarly, serotonergic cells in mammalian taste buds tended to be located at the periphery of taste buds. Based on the position of serotonergic cells in the taste bud and on recent physiological studies on the actions of serotonin in taste buds, we postulate that serotonin functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in vertebrate taste buds.

Application of serial sectioning and three-dimensional reconstruction to the study of taste bud ultrastructure and organization

The lingual taste buds of mammals are complex organs containing dozens of cells of varying morphology and numerous nerve fibers that are intermingled among the cellular processes. Some of the taste bud cells form synaptic contacts with these nerve fibers. Important questions remain to be answered regarding the structure and function of the cells of various types within taste buds and the means by which responses to gustatory stimuli are transmitted to the nerve fibers that communicate with the brain. Using both conventional and high voltage electron microscopy, we have examined serially sectioned taste buds from the tongues of mice and rabbits in order to address these issues and to obtain more complete information than that available from sampling of sections. The technique of computer-assisted 3-D reconstruction was used to generate models of whole taste buds and individual cellular and neural elements within taste buds from the serial sections. Analysis of serially sectioned taste buds from mice and rabbits has revealed that in both of these species relatively few (30% or less) of the cells within the taste buds form synaptic contacts with nerve fibers. In the foliate taste buds of rabbits, all of the cells that are presynaptic to nerve fibers are of a single morphological type (type III). The cells that are presynaptic to nerve fibers within the taste buds of mice are morphologically diverse. A pattern of synaptic connectivity exists within murine taste buds such that a given nerve fiber receives synaptic input only from taste cells that are ultrastructurally similar. In the taste buds of both mice and rabbits, we have observed both divergence and convergence of synaptic input from the putative taste receptor cells onto nerve fibers, suggesting that at the level of the taste bud there is some integration of the information generated by individual receptor cells. In addition to typical chemical synapses, other cytoplasmic specializations (such as subsurface cisternae and atypical mitochondria) may be involved in interactions between taste bud cells and nerve fibers.

Ontogenesis and taste bud cell turnover in the chicken. I. Gemmal cell renewal in the hatchling

Taste bud cell turnover rate was examined in oral epithelium of the precocial chick, which at hatching contains the adult complement of taste buds. Forty newly hatched chicks received single or double pulse injections of tritiated thymidine (specific activity was 6.7 Curies/millimole; dosage was 0.5 microCuries/g body weight, intraperitoneally). Anterior mandibular epithelium was processed for light microscopic autoradiography at 2 and 16 hours, as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 days after the initial pulse. In a coded and randomized procedure, the section (7 microns) through the bud's center was selected for counting > or = 6 silver grains over round-clear and gracile-dense gemmal cell nuclei. The mean number of labelled cells/bud varied significantly (P < or = 0.01) during the first four posthatch days, yielding the fastest gemmal cell turnover rates (3.4-4.4 days) yet reported in vertebrates. Average bud diameter also significantly changed during the first four posthatch days, and was reflected in shifts of the distribution of 40-69 microns and > or = 70 microns diameter buds. Both an increase in labelled bud cells and bud diameter during the first two posthatch days may reflect high proliferation rates in initially maturing buds. Subsequent decrease in bud diameter between 2 and 3 days postinjection may indicate splitting of large-diameter (> or = 70 microns) buds and/or normal bud cell death due to failure of sensory afferentation. Bud-splitting alone, however, cannot account for significant decreases in bud cell label which did not occur before 4-6 days postinjection.

Fine structure of taste buds located on the lamb epiglottis

BACKGROUND

Taste buds located on the aryepiglottal folds and laryngeal surface of the epiglottis are the principal receptors responsible for the initiation of the laryngeal chemoreflex. In contrast to the wealth of information available concerning the ultrastructure of oral taste buds, little comparable data exists for taste buds located at the entrance to the larynx. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the fine structure of taste buds located on the lamb epiglottis.

MATERIALS

Stained thick and semi-serial thin sections from taste buds located on the lamb epiglottis were examined with light and electron microscopy.

RESULTS

Based on morphological criteria, three types of cells could be identified in the taste bud: Type I, Type II, and basal cells. Both Type I and Type II cells extended into the apical taste pore, but there were differences between these two cell types with regard to nuclear profiles, electron density, and the relative density of ribosomes, apical mitochondria, and rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Basal cells did not extend a process into the taste pore. Nerve processes were observed throughout the taste bud. Synapses were observed between both Type I and Type II cells and nerve fibers. These synapses exhibited membrane thickenings and accumulations of clear and dense-cored vesicles of varying proportions in the taste cell cytoplasm adjacent to membrane specializations.

CONCLUSIONS

The taste buds located on the lamb epiglottis share several structural similarities to taste buds located in the oral cavity and other regions of the pharynx and larynx of many mammalian species. The presence of synapses on both Type I and Type II cells of the lamb epiglottal taste bud suggests that both cell types are involved in laryngeal chemoreception.

Immunolocalization of different forms of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in rat taste buds

Taste buds consist of approximately 100 taste cells, including three morphological types of short receptor cells which synapse on the peripheral gustatory nerves. Some of the receptor cells produce neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), which may play a role in formation of specific connections in this system. Antibodies directed against different forms of NCAM were utilized in an attempt to define not only the distribution, but also the type of NCAM within taste buds. Within each taste bud approximately 10% of the taste cells exhibit abundant immunoreactivity for 180 kD (ld) or 140 kD (sd) forms of NCAM (i.e., those with an intracellular domain) along virtually the entire surface of the cell. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that these abundantly immunoreactive taste cells are of the intermediate morphological type, although not all of the intermediate taste cells within any bud are immunoreactive. In addition, the ultrastructural studies show that punctate (ld/sd) NCAM-immunoreactivity occurs on the membranes of taste cells and nerve fibers throughout each taste bud. The embryonic form of NCAM (E-NCAM), rich in polysialic acid residues, is present only in association with nerve fibers and other unidentified elongate, thin profiles of a few taste buds. The nerve plexus beneath the gustatory epithelium is also rich in NCAM-immunoreactivity. These fibers occasionally reveal immunoreactivity indicative of only the 120 kD (ssd) form of NCAM, typical of glial cells.

Aspects of vertebrate gustatory phylogeny: morphology and turnover of chick taste bud cells

The taste bud is a receptor form observed across vertebrates. The present report compares chick taste buds to those of other vertebrates using light and electron microscopy. Unlike mammals, but common to many modern avians, the dorsal surface of chick anterior tongue lacks taste papillae and taste buds. Ultrastructurally, chick buds located in the anterior floor of the mouth (as in some reptiles and amphibians) and palate contain dark, intermediate, light, and basal cell types. Dark, intermediate, and light cells extend microvilli into intragemmal lumina and pores communicating with the oral cavity. As specialized features, dark cell apices lack dense granules and exhibit short microvilli relative to light and intermediate cells. Dark cell cytoplasmic fingers envelop intragemmal nerve fibers and cells as in other species, and sometimes contain abundant clear vesicles. Nerve profile expansions often are located adjacent to dark, intermediate, and light cell nuclei. Classical afferent synaptic contacts are rarely observed. Taste cell turnover is suggested by mitotic and degenerating figures in chick buds. In addition, tritiated thymidine injected into hatchlings, whose anterior mandibular oral taste bud population approximates that in adults, reveals a turnover rate of about 4.5 days. This is about half that observed in altricial mammals, reflecting a species difference or developmental factor in precocial avians. It is concluded that chick taste buds exhibit morphologic features common to other vertebrate buds with specializations reflecting the influences of niche, glandular relations, and/or age.

Merkel-like basal cells in Necturus taste buds contain serotonin

Several types of cells have been identified in vertebrate taste buds, including dark cells, light cells, intermediate cells, type III cells, and basal cells. The physiological roles of these cell types are not well understood, especially those of basal cells. In this paper we show that there are two types of basal cells in taste buds from Necturus maculosus. One type of basal cell is an undifferentiated cell, presumably a stem cell. By combining light microscopic immunocytochemistry with electron microscopy, we show that the other type of basal cell is positive for serotonin-like immunoreactivity and that these cells have ultrastructural features similar to those found in cutaneous Merkel cells. Based on these findings, and the fact that the Merkel-like taste cells have been shown to make synaptic contacts with adjacent taste cells and with innervating nerve fibers, we conclude that these Merkel-like basal taste cells are serotonergic interneurons.

Odorant-selective genes and neurons mediate olfaction in C. elegans

Olfaction is a versatile and sensitive mechanism for detecting volatile odorants. We show that the nematode C. elegans detects many volatile chemicals, which can be attractants, repellents, or attractants at low concentrations and repellents at high concentrations. Through laser ablation, we have identified chemosensory neurons that detect volatile odorants. Chemotaxis to volatile odorants requires different sensory neurons from chemotaxis to water-soluble attractants, indicating that C. elegans might have senses that correspond to smell and taste, respectively. Single neurons have complex sensory properties, since six distinguishable volatile odorants are sensed by only two types of sensory neurons. Chemotaxis to subsets of volatile odorants is disrupted by mutations in the odr genes, which might be involved in odorant sensation or signal transduction.

Ultrastructure of the taste disc in the red-bellied toad Bombina orientalis (Discoglossidae, Salientia)

The taste disc of the red-bellied toad Bombina orientalis (Discoglossidae) has been investigated by light and electron microscopy and compared with that of Rana pipiens (Ranidae). Unlike the frog, B. orientalis possesses a disc-shaped tongue that cannot be ejected for capture of prey. The taste discs are located on the top of fungiform papillae. They are smaller than those in Ranidae, and are not surrounded by a ring of ciliated cells. Ultrastructurally, five types of cells can be identified (mucus cells, wing cells, sensory cells, and both Merkel cell-like basal cells and undifferentiated basal cells). Mucus cells are the main secretory cells of the taste disc and occupy most of the surface area. Their basal processes do not synapse on nerve fibers. Wing cells have sheet-like apical processes and envelop the mucus cells. They contain lysosomes and multivesicular bodies. Two types of sensory cells reach the surface of the taste disc; apically, they are distinguished by either a brush-like arrangement of microvilli or a rod-like protrusion. They are invaginated into lateral folds of mucus cells and wing cells. In contrast to the situation in R. pipiens, sensory cells of B. orientalis do not contain dark secretory granules in the perinuclear region. Synaptic connections occur between sensory cells (presynaptic sites) and nerve fibers. Merkel cell-like basal cells do not synapse onto sensory cells, but synapse-like connections exist between Merkel cell-like basal cells (presynaptic site) and nerve fibers.