Sonic Hedgehog在味乳头发育过程中的作用

Shh是一种作用于脊椎动物细胞分化和组织诱导的信号分子,它通过跨膜蛋白Ptc受体和信号转录因子Glil参与信号转导机制。从胚胎期（E12）到成年,Shh信号在鼠舌味乳头中的表达都非常广泛。在味乳头最初发育阶段,Shh信号的作用包括调节上皮和间质细胞的交互作用、控制乳头形成和成型、限定乳头的分布模式、决定细胞分化的命运等,破坏Shh信号会导致菌状数量增多、面积增大以及乳头分布区域更广。     

鳜早期味蕾发育的组织学特征

采用石蜡切片、H.E染色研究了3 ~ 28日龄鳜（Siniperca chuatsi）味蕾发育的组织学特征,并通过扫描电镜观察28日龄鳜口咽腔组织味蕾类型与数目。结果表明,未开口期（3日龄）,鳜口裂未张开,味蕾尚未分化;开口期（7日龄）,鳜口裂张开明显,味蕾呈椭圆形,突起高度平缓,主要分布在上下颌上皮上,舌、咽、鳃弓上皮上有少量分布;稚鱼期（14日龄）,味蕾呈圆锥形,突起高度上升,舌和咽上味蕾数目增加;21日龄,味蕾呈近梯形,突起高度不变,下颌、舌、咽上味蕾数增加,鳃弓上味蕾数目显著增加;28日龄,味蕾发育完全,口咽腔味蕾数继续增加。扫描电镜观察表明,鳜味蕾主要有3种类型：Ⅰ型味蕾近球形,含有大量微绒毛,突起高于上皮,味孔向外突起;Ⅱ型味蕾含有少量微绒毛,突起略高于黏膜上皮,味孔向内凹陷;Ⅲ型味蕾微绒毛含量最少,突起几乎与黏膜上皮共面,味孔平坦或凹陷。上下颌、咽、鳃中以Ⅰ型味蕾数量最多,Ⅱ型味蕾最少,舌上主要分布Ⅰ型味蕾,无Ⅲ型味蕾。结果表明,鳜早期味蕾结构发育与其摄食关联,推测其主要通过Ⅰ型味蕾和Ⅱ型味蕾对食物的机械性和化学成分进行识别。     

小鼠生后发育过程中轮廓乳头味蕾形态及其α-味蛋白表达

应用组织学与免疫荧光组织化学手段从不同侧面系统研究了小鼠生后早期发育过程中轮廓乳头味蕾数量、形态及α-味蛋白表达的变化规律;结果表明:出生当天小鼠轮廓乳头内尚未有味蕾存在,但在生后早期迅速发育,在出生后最初4周内味蕾的数量、大小迅速显著地增长(P<0.001),味蕾的形态也从幼年期的椭圆形到成年期的长椭圆形,味蕾细胞明显延长;发育过程中离体味蕾的形态大小同组织学研究结果具有一致性;α-味蛋白阳性味蕾与阳性细胞在出生后最初2周内显著增长(P<0.001)。结果表明,味蕾发育过程是一个结构与功能相适应的过程。     

鲤鱼味蕾超微结构的研究

本文用透射电镜观察了鲤鱼味蕾的超微结构。结果表明,鲤鱼味蕾中可见三种类型的细胞：亮细胞、暗细胞、和基细胞。     

黄颡鱼口须味蕾分布模式及味蛋白α-味导素的表达

为探讨黄颡鱼口须味蕾的分布模式及其α味导素的表达,应用连续石蜡切片和环境扫描电镜对口须味蕾的数量、形态和分布进行了研究,并用整体包埋免疫荧光组化方法检测了黄颡鱼4种口须味蕾中α味导素的表达。结果显示:黄颡鱼口须味蕾主要分布在口须中间2/3区域,存在三种类型的味蕾:Ⅰ型与Ⅱ型味蕾突起于上皮表面,Ⅲ型味蕾平齐于周围上皮;味蕾细胞中有α味导素的强表达。结果提示,黄颡鱼口须味蕾的数量、形态及其分布模式是其适应底栖生活习性的结果;α味导素在各种口须味蕾中的强烈表达说明α味导素在黄颡鱼味觉感知与信息传导过程中有重要意义,也意味着脊椎动物味觉信号转导存在着共同路径     

味蕾上的野菜

野菜是餐桌上的佳肴。春天万物复苏,一棵棵野菜在春雨的滋润下如同雨后春笋般冒出来了,它们是无化肥、无农药和无生物激素的“三无”绿色健康食品,富含人体必需的多种维生素,口感好,味道鲜美,深受人们欢迎。现在夏天来了,人们更要吃出健康,吃出舒心。     

胡子鲶味蕾的表面形态和分布的扫描电镜观察

应用扫描电镜观察了胡子鲶的味蕾表面形态和分布。观察结果显示了胡子鲶的味蕾呈现多种类型,口须、唇、颌齿、舌后区、咽齿垫、咽旁侧、下咽壁、食道的上皮具有不同类型和不同分布方式的味蕾。     

哺乳动物味觉的细胞生物学

味觉对于生命具有重要作用,在一定程度上决定了动物对食物的选择。哺乳动物味觉识别主要依赖于舌味蕾中的味细胞,味蕾由50～100个极化的神经上皮细胞聚集而成。通过对味蕾细胞的分析显示,味蕾是一种精巧的单元结构。这篇文章综述了味蕾细胞的形态、结构功能、细胞生物学活性以及味觉信息的传导。     

哺乳动物早期发育相关microRNAs的研究进展

本文简要总结了近年来哺乳动物早期发育相关microRNA(miRNA)的研究进展。miRNA是真核生物中一类长度约为18～25 nt的内源性非编码单链小RNA分子,其调控基因表达是近年来在动植物体内发现的一种新的生物学调节机制。通过荧光定量PCR检测、miRNA的过表达、抑制或基因敲除实验以及生物信息学分析等发现,miRNA在哺乳动物植入前胚胎前的发育过程中有重要作用,参与胚胎细胞的增殖、分化、基因印记以及重编程甲基化等,与动物生殖或发育异常相关,是表观遗传学的研究热点之一。     

Taste bud form and distribution on lips and in the oropharyngeal cavity of cardinal fish species (Apogonidae, Teleostei), with remarks on their dentition

The oral dentition and type and number of taste buds (TB) on the lips and in the oropharyngeal cavity were compared by means of SEM in 11 species of cardinal fishes (Apogonidae) belonging to five genera. The occurrence of a dense cover of skin papillae on the lips of some species (e.g., Apogon frenatus), as well as differences in structure of vomer, tongue, and palatinum, expose additional morphological characters important for clarification of the taxonomy of this group of fishes. Differences are also revealed in the type of dentition, such as on the vomer and epi-hypopharyngeal bones. Strong and dense dentition of the anterior part of the oral cavity and a high number of TB on this site in species feeding on larger prey (e.g., Cheilodipterus spp) is compared to the relatively feeble jaw armor and richness of TB on the more pharyngeal site in species feeding on smaller prey (e.g., Apogon angustatus, A. frenatus). In addition to the three types of TB (Types I-III) previously described from various teleost fish, a fourth type (Type IV), comprising very small buds, was found in some cardinal fish (Apogon angustatus, A. frenatus). The various TB are distributed from the lips to the pharyngeal bones, on the breathing valves, tongue, palatinum, and pharyngeal bones; their number and type on the various sites differ in the different species. In all species studied the Types I and II TB, elevated above the surrounding epithelium, dominated the lips and anterior part of mouth, while Types III and IV, which end apically at the level with the epithelium, dominated the more posterior pharyngeal region. The highest number of TB, around 24,600, were found in Fowleria variegata, a typical nocturnal species, and the lowest in the diurnal and crepuscular Apogon cyanosoma (1,660) and Cheilodipterus quinquestriatus (2,400). Differences are also revealed in the type of dentition, such as on the vomer and epi-hypopharyngeal bones. The number of TB increased with growth of the fishes. The differences in the total number of TB and their distribution in the oropharyngeal cavity in the various species indicates possible different mechanisms of foraging and food-recognition.     

Top-Down Control of Sweet and Bitter Taste in the Mammalian Brain

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Taste buds on the lips and mouth of some blenniid and gobiid fishes: comparative distribution and morphology

Analysis of taste buds (TB) on the lips and oropharyngeal cavity in several species of gobies (Gobiidae) and blennies (Blenniidae) from the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Seychelles, revealed three types of these organs: types I and II, which protrude above the surrounding epithelium on lobules of various forms, and type III, which terminate on the level of the epithelium. These TB are composed of either light or dark sensory cells with apical microvillar extensions, and of basal cells situated at the TB base. Synaptic junctions occur between the TB cells and the sub‐epithelial sensory nerves. Numerical distribution and morphology of TB on the lips and in the oral cavity of the species studied revealed patterns that are specific on both species and family levels. In most of the gobies the lips, jaws and oral breathing valves are usually covered by numerous lobules, each of which bears papillae with two to seven type I and type II TB, reaching a total of up to 7500 buds on the lips and in the oropharyngeal cavity in these fishes. The number of TB increases with growth (age) of the fish, and the combined and total sensory area of TB in an adult fish can reach up to 80 000 μm². In contrast, in blennies the anterior region of the oral cavity is seldom lobulated, with far fewer TB; the majority of TB are found in the more posterior region. It is postulated that these differences in TB density and location between gobies and blennies are connected to differences in foraging strategies and diet, and may represent ecomorphological adaptations.     

Comparison of the oropharyngeal cavity in the Starksiini (Teleostei: Blenniiformes: Labrisomidae): Taste buds and teeth,including a comparison with closely‐related genera

The present study describes the distribution of taste buds and teeth in the oropharyngeal cavity of 13 species of adult (18–60 mm SL) Starksiini fishes inhabiting subtidal waters of the Neotropical region. Four types of taste buds described previously in other fish groups were observed within the oropharyngeal cavity, of which type I, situated on prominent protruding papillae, is the most common. The number of taste buds in this cavity varies considerably, ranging from ca. 202 in Starksia lepicoelia to ca. 770 in S. sluiteri. In all the studied species, taste buds are more numerous on the posterior (160–396) than on the anterior (42–294) part of the oropharyngeal cavity. The presence of different numbers of taste buds in different Starksiini species of the same standard length suggests that numbers of taste buds are not directly correlated with size and may be species‐specific. Teeth are found on the premaxilla, dentary, vomer, palatine (in some species) and the upper and lower pharyngeal jaws (third pharyngobranchials and fifth ceratobranchials, respectively); the form and number of teeth and taste buds on each of these sites differs among the various species of Starksiini and between them and closely related species of the labrisomid tribes Labrisomini, Mnierpini, and Paraclinini. The results thus suggest potential systematic value in certain features of the oropharyngeal cavity for blenniiform fishes. It is also shown that benthic‐feeding omnivorous fishes have higher densities of taste buds than piscivorous fishes. A possible correlation among numbers of taste buds, their positions in the oropharyngeal cavity, and other parameters is discussed. J. Morphol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The reversible effect of colchicine on the taste bud cells of the central circumvallate papilla in the rat

Summary It is believed that differentiation and maintenance of taste buds in vertebrates is dependent on the trophic function of their sensory nerve supply. In the present work colchicine was injected into the circumvallate papilla of the rat. This produced a reversible blockade of neuroplasmic transport and disappearance of taste buds. Colchicine inhibited the further differentiation of bud cells, but apparently did not change the life cycle of the cells present already at the time of injection. It is speculated that the neurotrophic factors in this particular cell system are effective to induce cell differentiation only.This work was supported by CAIT Grant No 1776     

Contribution of Underlying Connective Tissue Cells to Taste Buds in Mouse Tongue and Soft Palate

Taste buds, the sensory organs for taste, have been described as arising solely from the surrounding epithelium, which is in distinction from other sensory receptors that are known to originate from neural precursors, i.e., neural ectoderm that includes neural crest (NC). Our previous study suggested a potential contribution of NC derived cells to early immature fungiform taste buds in late embryonic (E18.5) and young postnatal (P1-10) mice. In the present study we demonstrated the contribution of the underlying connective tissue (CT) to mature taste buds in mouse tongue and soft palate. Three independent mouse models were used for fate mapping of NC and NC derived connective tissue cells: (1) P0-Cre/R26-tdTomato (RFP) to label NC, NC derived Schwann cells and derivatives; (2) Dermo1-Cre/RFP to label mesenchymal cells and derivatives; and (3) Vimentin-CreER/mGFP to label Vimentin-expressing CT cells and derivatives upon tamoxifen treatment. Both P0-Cre/RFP and Dermo1-Cre/RFP labeled cells were abundant in mature taste buds in lingual taste papillae and soft palate, but not in the surrounding epithelial cells. Concurrently, labeled cells were extensively distributed in the underlying CT. RFP signals were seen in the majority of taste buds and all three types (I, II, III) of differentiated taste bud cells, with the neuronal-like type III cells labeled at a greater proportion. Further, Vimentin-CreER labeled cells were found in the taste buds of 3-month-old mice whereas Vimentin immunoreactivity was only seen in the CT. Taken together, our data demonstrate a previously unrecognized origin of taste bud cells from the underlying CT, a conceptually new finding in our knowledge of taste bud cell derivation, i.e., from both the surrounding epithelium and the underlying CT that is primarily derived from NC.     

Electron Microscopic Observations on the Taste Buds of the Rabbit

An examination of the fine structure of the taste buds in the rabbit was undertaken. Gustatory epithelium was fixed in OsO₄ or 1 per cent KMnO₄ solution, containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Thick sections were examined in the phase microscope and contiguous sections prepared for the electron microscope. The bud contains two types of cells, gustatory receptors and sustentacular cells. The receptors are characterized by a dark nucleus and densely granular cytoplasm. The apical processes bear numerous microvilli which extend into the taste pore. Imbedded between the microvilli there is a dense substance, which is also present in the apical cytoplasm of the receptors. The sustentacular cells contain a large pale nucleus and less dense cytoplasm. Their basal surfaces rest upon a basement membrane. The subepithelial nerve plexuses comprise the fibers which innervate the gustatory receptors. The nerve fibers vary in diameter from 500 A to 0.3 µ, and are ensheathed by Schwann cells. The intragemmal fibers enter the taste bud between adjacent cells, and are ensheathed by the plasma membranes of the supporting cell until they synapse upon the gustatory cell. The synaptic terminals contain synaptic vesicles, which at this junction reside in the postsynaptic element. This observation is discussed with reference to synapses described elsewhere in the nervous system.