Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in type III taste cells |
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Authors: | R. A. Romanov Y. E. Yatzenko N. V. Kabanova M. F. Bystrova S. S. Kolesnikov |
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Affiliation: | (1) Division of Oral Histology and Neurobiology, Department of Bioscience, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580, Japan |
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Abstract: | In the mammalian taste bud, the heterogeneous cell population includes three morphologically distinct types of cells, type I to type III, which are also different in their electrophysiological features. Particularly, voltage-gated (VG) Ca2+ channels are functional solely in taste cells of the type III. These channels were studied here with external Ba2+ ions as current carriers. It was specifically shown that VG Ba2+ currents were almost completely blockable with nifedipine as well as with ionic blockers, such as Cd2+, Ni2+, and Co2+. Kinetic properties of VG Ba2+ currents in type III cells and their sensitivity to the blockers indicated that these currents were largely mediated by VG Ca2+ channels of the L-type. The expression of genes, which encode pore-forming α1-subunits of Ca2+ channels, was analyzed using methods of molecular biology. Among four genes encoding L-type Ca2+ channel α1-subunits (Ca ν 1.1-Ca ν 1.4), the expression of Ca ν 1.2 was demonstrated in taste cells. |
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