Studies on the types of the taste cell and taste perception.

关于味觉细胞到味觉细胞或味觉神经的通路，还有许多尚未解决的问题。因此，我们采用行为学、钙显像和免疫细胞化学等方法分析了小鼠咖啡因的转导机制。通过钙显像和免疫细胞化学检测味觉细胞对咖啡因、ATP和高浓度K^+的反应性，检测II型细胞标志物G_α-gustducin和IP_3R3的表达。结果，咖啡因刺激了味觉细胞II型和其他类型的细胞。高浓度K^+使部分II型细胞去极化，存在对咖啡因和高K^+有反应的味觉细胞。因此，我们得出结论，在II型细胞亚群中存在电压门控钙通道。此外，ATP刺激II型和其他类型的细胞。考虑到ATP从II型细胞释放的报道，它似乎在味觉细胞中起自分泌作用。

There are a lot of unsolved issues about the pathway from taste cells to taste cells or taste nerves. Therefore, we analyzed the caffeine transduction mechanism of mouse using behavioral test, calcium imaging, and immunocytochemistry. The responsiveness of taste cells to caffeine, ATP, and high concentration of K^+ were examined by calcium imaging followed by immunocytochemistry to detect expression of G_α-gustducin and IP_3R3 which are known as type II cell markers. As a result, caffeine stimulated taste cells both type II and the other type of cells. A part of type II cells was depolarized by high concentration of K^+, and taste cells which responded to caffeine and high K^+ existed. Therefore we concluded there are voltage-gated calcium channels in subset of type II cells. Also, ATP stimulates both type II and other type of cells. Considering the report that ATP is released from type II cells, it seems to play an autocrine role in taste cells.