2021-05-04l Hit 3335
Live imaging of taste cells in action
The initial event in taste sensation is mediated by taste cells on the tongue that translate ingested chemicals into cellular signals.
Current understanding on this cellular level taste encoding process has relied on ex vivo model systems that cannot fully recapitulate
natural cellular microenvironment in vivo. To resolve this methodological limitation, we invented a microfluidics-on-a-tongue imaging chamber that has integrated multichannel microfluidics for auto-controlled tastant delivery. Using this system, we screened over 100 fungiform taste cells to the five basic taste qualities,
and obtained comprehensive functional maps. We revealed that taste cells are composed of 70% of single-tuned and 30% of dual-tuned cells, and also discovered a novel population of dual-tuned taste cells encoding a positive valence. We believe that our novel screening platform will pave a way for the deeper
understanding of taste coding logic.