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Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Taste, Smell and Beyond, 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2024) | Viewed by 6179

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Peihua Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Interests: taste receptor; taste preferences; feeding behavior; carbohydrate metabolism; adult stem cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Taste and smell are two basic senses that enable us to perceive external chemical stimuli. Over the past few decades, by using a variety of experimental models, significant progress has been made towards understanding the molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms that underly the perception of taste and olfactory stimuli, ranging from the detection of chemical stimuli by taste, olfactory receptors expressed in taste bud cells, or olfactory sensory neurons to the central information processing in the brain. Yet, many gaps still remain (e.g., how tastants or odorants bind to and activate taste or olfactory receptors; how different brain regions encode the sensory information). Unique to the gustatory and olfactory sensory systems, taste organs and the olfactory epithelium regenerate throughout life. Senescent taste receptor cells or olfactory sensory neurons are replaced by newborn cells generated from adult taste or olfactory stem cells. Recent advances in the relevant fields start to illustrate these processes in detail. Chemosensory signaling elements are not restricted to peripheral taste or olfactory tissues. Emerging evidence demonstrates that they may have key functions in many types of cells outside of the oral and nasal cavities. This brings a new perspective to chemosensory research. In addition to their classical roles in sensing chemicals and triggering behavioral responses, such as the ingestion or rejection of particular foods, taste and smell can also influence many other aspects of physiology. Taste and smell are often understudied in the area of pathophysiology. Yet, many people with COVID-19 suffer from a loss of taste and smell. This can directly impact quality of life and wellness. Understanding taste and smell dysfunction and development of effective treatments are clearly needed. In this research topic, we welcome original research articles and review articles relating to the broader aspect of taste and smell research to help advance the research on chemical senses.

Dr. Peihua Jiang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • taste receptor
  • taste preferences
  • feeding behavior
  • carbohydrate metabolism
  • adult stem cells
 

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3094 KiB  
Article
Diet-Induced Obesity Induces Transcriptomic Changes in Neuroimmunometabolic-Related Genes in the Striatum and Olfactory Bulb
by Rosario B. Jaime-Lara, Claudia Colina-Prisco, Marcel De Jesus Vega, Sarah Williams, Ted Usdin, Bridget Matikainen-Ankney, Alayna Kinkead, Brianna Brooks, Yupeng Wang, Alexis T. Franks, Alexxai Kravitz and Paule V. Joseph
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(17), 9330; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179330 - 28 Aug 2024
Viewed by 416
Abstract
The incidence of obesity has markedly increased globally over the last several decades and is believed to be associated with the easier availability of energy-dense foods, including high-fat foods. The reinforcing hedonic properties of high-fat foods, including olfactory cues, activate reward centers in [...] Read more.
The incidence of obesity has markedly increased globally over the last several decades and is believed to be associated with the easier availability of energy-dense foods, including high-fat foods. The reinforcing hedonic properties of high-fat foods, including olfactory cues, activate reward centers in the brain, motivating eating behavior. Thus, there is a growing interest in the understanding of the genetic changes that occur in the brain that are associated with obesity and eating behavior. This growing interest has paralleled advances in genomic methods that enable transcriptomic-wide analyses. Here, we examined the transcriptomic-level differences in the olfactory bulb and striatum, regions of the brain associated with olfaction and hedonic food-seeking, respectively, in high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed obese mice. To isolate the dietary effects from obesity, we also examined transcriptomic changes in normal-chow-fed and limited-HFD-fed groups, with the latter being pair-fed with an HFD isocaloric to the consumption of the normal-chow-fed mice. Using RNA sequencing, we identified 274 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the striatum and 11 in the olfactory bulb of ad libitum HFD-fed mice compared to the chow-fed group, and thirty-eight DEGs in the striatum between the ad libitum HFD and limited-HFD-fed groups. The DEGs in both tissues were associated with inflammation and immune-related pathways, including oxidative stress and immune function, and with mitochondrial dysfunction and reward pathways in the striatum. These results shed light on potential obesity-associated genes in these regions of the brain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Taste, Smell and Beyond, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 5152 KiB  
Article
Molecular Characterization of Chemosensory Protein (CSP) Genes and the Involvement of AgifCSP5 in the Perception of Host Location in the Aphid Parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis
by Jun Jiang, Jiayi Xue, Miaomiao Yu, Xin Jiang, Yumeng Cheng, Huijuan Wang, Yanxia Liu, Wei Dou, Jia Fan and Julian Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(12), 6392; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126392 - 9 Jun 2024
Viewed by 983
Abstract
Aphidius gifuensis is the dominant parasitic natural enemy of aphids. Elucidating the molecular mechanism of host recognition of A. gifuensis would improve its biological control effect. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) play a crucial role in insect olfactory systems and are mainly involved in host [...] Read more.
Aphidius gifuensis is the dominant parasitic natural enemy of aphids. Elucidating the molecular mechanism of host recognition of A. gifuensis would improve its biological control effect. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) play a crucial role in insect olfactory systems and are mainly involved in host localization. In this study, a total of nine CSPs of A. gifuensis with complete open reading frames were identified based on antennal transcriptome data. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that AgifCSPs were mainly clustered into three subgroups (AgifCSP1/2/7/8, AgifCSP3/9, and AgifCSP4/5/6). AgifCSP2/5 showed high expression in the antennae of both sexes. Moreover, AgifCSP5 was found to be specifically expressed in the antennae. In addition, fluorescent binding assays revealed that AifCSP5 had greater affinities for 7 of 32 volatile odor molecules from various sources. Molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis results revealed that the residue at which AgifCSP5 binds to these seven plant volatiles is Tyr75. Behavior tests further confirmed that trans-2-nonenal, one of the seven active volatiles in the ligand binding test, significantly attracted female adults at a relatively low concentration of 10 mg/mL. In conclusion, AgifCSP5 may be involved in locating aphid-infested crops from long distances by detecting and binding trans-2-nonenal. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for further understanding the olfactory recognition mechanisms and indirect aphid localization behavior of A. gifuensis from long distances by first identifying the host plant of aphids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Taste, Smell and Beyond, 2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 2136 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Functional Characterization of Type-I Taste Bud Cells as Monocytes/Macrophages-like Which Secrete Proinflammatory Cytokines
by Aziz Hichami, Hamza Saidi, Amira Sayed Khan, Pernelle Degbeni and Naim Akhtar Khan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 10325; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241210325 - 19 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1466
Abstract
The sense of taste determines the choice of nutrients and food intake and, consequently, influences feeding behaviors. The taste papillae are primarily composed of three types of taste bud cells (TBC), i.e., type I, type II, and type III. The type I TBC, [...] Read more.
The sense of taste determines the choice of nutrients and food intake and, consequently, influences feeding behaviors. The taste papillae are primarily composed of three types of taste bud cells (TBC), i.e., type I, type II, and type III. The type I TBC, expressing GLAST (glutamate-–aspartate transporter), have been termed as glial-like cells. We hypothesized that these cells could play a role in taste bud immunity as glial cells do in the brain. We purified type I TBC, expressing F4/80, a specific marker of macrophages, from mouse fungiform taste papillae. The purified cells also express CD11b, CD11c, and CD64, generally expressed by glial cells and macrophages. We further assessed whether mouse type I TBC can be polarized toward M1 or M2 macrophages in inflammatory states like lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-triggered inflammation or obesity, known to be associated with low-grade inflammation. Indeed, LPS-treatment and obesity state increased TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression, both at mRNA and protein levels, in type I TBC. Conversely, purified type I TBC treated with IL-4 showed a significant increase in arginase 1 and IL-4. These findings provide evidence that type I gustatory cells share many features with macrophages and may be involved in oral inflammation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Taste, Smell and Beyond, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 8658 KiB  
Article
Adiponectin Enhances Fatty Acid Signaling in Human Taste Cells by Increasing Surface Expression of CD36
by Fangjun Lin, Yan Liu, Trina Rudeski-Rohr, Naima Dahir, Ashley Calder and Timothy A. Gilbertson
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5801; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065801 - 18 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2176
Abstract
Adiponectin, a key metabolic hormone, is secreted into the circulation by fat cells where it enhances insulin sensitivity and stimulates glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Adiponectin receptors are highly expressed in the taste system; however, their effects and mechanisms of action in the [...] Read more.
Adiponectin, a key metabolic hormone, is secreted into the circulation by fat cells where it enhances insulin sensitivity and stimulates glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Adiponectin receptors are highly expressed in the taste system; however, their effects and mechanisms of action in the modulation of gustatory function remain unclear. We utilized an immortalized human fungiform taste cell line (HuFF) to investigate the effect of AdipoRon, an adiponectin receptor agonist, on fatty acid-induced calcium responses. We showed that the fat taste receptors (CD36 and GPR120) and taste signaling molecules (Gα-gust, PLCβ2, and TRPM5) were expressed in HuFF cells. Calcium imaging studies showed that linoleic acid induced a dose-dependent calcium response in HuFF cells, and it was significantly reduced by the antagonists of CD36, GPR120, PLCβ2, and TRPM5. AdipoRon administration enhanced HuFF cell responses to fatty acids but not to a mixture of sweet, bitter, and umami tastants. This enhancement was inhibited by an irreversible CD36 antagonist and by an AMPK inhibitor but was not affected by a GPR120 antagonist. AdipoRon increased the phosphorylation of AMPK and the translocation of CD36 to the cell surface, which was eliminated by blocking AMPK. These results indicate that AdipoRon acts to increase cell surface CD36 in HuFF cells to selectively enhance their responses to fatty acids. This, in turn, is consistent with the ability of adiponectin receptor activity to alter taste cues associated with dietary fat intake. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Taste, Smell and Beyond, 2nd Edition)
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