In Pennsylvania, Monell Center researchers identified all the genes expressed in type II umami/sweet sensing cells and type III salty/sour cells, providing a treasure trove of information that will help identify precisely how each type of taste receptor cell carries out its specific function.
“The taste system is in many ways the gatekeeper of nutrition,” said Monell molecular biologist Sunil Sukumaran, PhD, who co-led the research. “Our study deepens knowledge of how taste cells work, with the potential to help devise ways to manipulate taste and promote healthy eating.”
With regard to taste, the findings will allow researchers to create a complete map of all the genes expressed in every type of taste cell within a taste bud, leading to a better understanding of how the taste system works. Taste buds contain between 50 and 100 tightly-packed cells with different types of taste receptor cells, each with a specialized function.