Research

Receptor-Receptor and Receptor-Glia Signaling

The receptor cells of taste buds possess numerous G protein coupled and other receptors that bind taste stimuli, triggering depolarization, action potential generation, and eventually, secretion of neurotransmitters, including ATP, GABA, Norepinephrine and more. These transmitters serve to transmit stimulus-evoked signals to the afferent nerve or modulate signals. They may also function in autocrine and paracrine communication between cells of the taste bud. 

We use confocal Ca2+ imaging of taste buds in lingual slices to record how stimulus-evoked sensory responses in receptor cells are conveyed to their surrounding glia.

Sensory Cell Types, Connectivity, and Tools to Study Them 

Single cell RNA sequencing of neurons from many brain regions has revealed the enormous molecular diversity that exists among neurons that appear similar. Among chemosensory afferent neurons that innervate taste buds as well, we documented a number of cell types using deep sequencing and a varied bioinformatics tools.

What are the anatomical and functional roles of these neuron types? We express fluorescent reporter proteins in selected neuron types using viral vectors and several validated transgenic strains to define which neuron types connect with which taste bud cell types.

Fluorescent reporters expressed transgenically or via viral vectors also help us define the interrelations of cell types within taste buds.