Molecular mechanisms of taste transduction in vertebrates

Odontology. 2009 Jan;97(1):1-7. doi: 10.1007/s10266-008-0095-y. Epub 2009 Jan 29.

Abstract

Among the five senses, taste and olfaction play crucial roles in the detection of chemical substances in the environment and are referred to as chemical senses. In the past decade, much progress has been made in studies on molecular mechanisms of the gustatory system by methods such as those based on molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and bioinformatics. This review covers recent studies on taste receptors, intracellular signaling transduction in taste receptor cells, and taste coding at the periphery in vertebrates from fish to mammals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / physiology
  • Humans
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*
  • Taste / genetics*
  • Taste Buds / physiology*
  • Taste Perception / genetics
  • Taste Perception / physiology
  • Vertebrates / genetics*

Substances

  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins