Mechanosensory substrates of flavor in the mammalian tongue

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Project summary/abstract Flavor is a multi-sensory percept involving taste, olfaction, thermosensation and mechanosensation. Such flavor profiles affect food consumption and nutritional intake in humans. Behavioral and anatomical studies provide strong premise for a role for oral somesthesis in flavor perception, and food texture has long been appreciated as a cause of food rejection; however, mechanisms by which mechanosensory neurons influence taste in the mammalian nervous system are poorly defined. Fundamental open questions include: what are the identities of mechanosensory neurons in the tongue? What are the ion channels that underlie mammalian tongue mechanosensation? The long-term goal of this research program is to elucidate how mechanosensory neurons influence flavor perception. We previously identified putative mechanosensory endings in the tongue through anatomical analysis, yet our preliminary functional findings suggest that there are likely more classes of mechanosensory neurons innervating the tongue. The Aims proposed in this project will characterize the anatomical, functional, and molecular properties of tongue innervating mechanoreceptors (Aim 1), and identify mechanotransduction channels that underlie tongue mechanosensation (Aim 2). We use a combination of mouse transgenic technology, histology, in vivo calcium imaging, and tracing to carry out these Aims. Collectively, this research will generate a comprehensive understanding of trigeminal mechanosensory neurons that innervate the tongue, develop essential molecular tools needed for future studies on flavor perception, and provide a foundation for a strong research program in the field of flavor biology. The work outlined in these Aims will also provide necessary data for a competitive R01 application geared towards unraveling mechanosensory integration with flavor circuitry in the central nervous system.