Development of mouse lingual epithelium in situ Ca imaging method for evaluation of seafood tastes

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We developed the new method for monitoring Ca^<2+> responses in the mouse taste receptor cells in situ. The lingual epithelium sheet was enzymatically removed from a mouse tongue and loaded with a fluorescent Ca^<2+> probe, Calcium Green 1. Fluorescent image sequences under microscopic observation were acquired via an image-intensified CCD camera and analyzed in a personal computer.Dose-dependent Ca^<2+> responses were obtained reproductively for three taste modalities, sweet, bitter and umami. The present Ca^<2+> imaging technique enabled us to monitor long-time (over 90 min), real-time and multi-cellular responses. This method was useful for evaluation of complicated tastes such as seafood.Some informations about intracellular signal transduction mechanisms in taste reception of umami were obtained by this method.