Neurotrophin receptor regulation of adult taste bud innervation and function

项目摘要/摘要： 味觉感受器细胞检测食物中的化学物质，并将这一信息传达给 神经纤维支配着它们。我们的目标是了解结构和功能 味觉感受器细胞与神经细胞的关系。因为味觉受器细胞 经历不断的更新，必须不断吸引和连接神经纤维，即使在 成人，存在某种机制来控制这一过程。由于神经营养因子BDNF控制 味蕾的初始神经支配，并存在于成人味觉感受器细胞中，它可能具有这种作用。 脑源性神经营养因子也可以作为神经调节剂的调节功能，所以肯定有可能 脑源性神经营养因子可以调节成人味蕾的神经支配和/或功能。在这里，我们正在测试 假设BDNF通过其受体TrkB调节结构和 味觉感受器细胞和神经节神经元之间的功能联系。建议数 研究结合稀疏细胞遗传标记和味蕾和味蕾的三维分析 电生理学，在小鼠中，TrkB信号可以被联合使用 化学和遗传学方法：1)确定BDNF的特性和连接性 味觉受体细胞的表达，2)决定了BDNF-TrkB信号在维持这一过程中的作用 连接，以及3)确定BDNF-TrkB信号是否调节味觉功能。加在一起，这些 实验将确定特定的味觉感受器细胞(表达脑源性神经营养因子)是如何成为 味觉细胞更新过程中味觉神经节神经元亚群(TrkB表达)的神经支配 并将确定BDNF-TrkB信号是否是一种重要的味觉系统神经调节剂 这条路。

Project Summary/Abstract: Taste receptor cells detect chemicals in our food and communicate this information to the nerve fibers innervating them. Our goal is to understand the structural and functional relationship between taste receptor cells and innervating neurons. Because taste receptor cells undergo continuous renewal and must constantly attract and connect to nerve fibers even in the adult, some mechanism exists to control this process. Since the neurotrophin BDNF controls initial innervation of taste buds and is present in adult taste receptor cells, it may have this role. BDNF also can function as a neuromodulator regulating function, so it is certainly possible that BDNF can regulate both innervation and/or function of adult taste buds. Here we are testing the hypothesis that BDNF signaling through its receptor, TrkB, regulates both the structural and functional connections between taste receptor cells and ganglion neurons. The proposed studies combine sparse cell genetic labeling with 3-dimensional analysis of the taste bud and electrophysiology, in mice where TrkB-signaling can be blocked using a combination of chemical and genetic approaches to: 1) determine the identity and connectivity of BDNF expressing taste receptor cells, 2) determine the role of BDNF-TrkB-signaling in maintaining this connectivity, and 3) determine if BDNF-TrkB signaling regulates taste function. Together, these experiments will determine how specific taste receptor cells (BDNF-expressing) become innervated by a subset of taste ganglion neurons (TrkB-expressing) during taste cell renewal and will determine if BDNF-TrkB-signaling is an important gustatory system neuromodulator of this pathway.