Neural cell adhesion molecule of taste buds.
The distribution of the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in the taste buds of adult and developing mice was studied by use of an immunocytochemical technique. In adult mice, nerve fibers and some elongated taste bud cells reacted with anti-N-CAM antibody. Immunoelectron microscopic observation showed that only type-III (gustatory) cells, which have afferent synaptic contacts with the nerves, were N-CAM positive in the taste buds. At day 0 after birth, taste buds of the developing mice first appeared in the circumvallate papillae, and N-CAM positive cells, which corresponded to type-III cells having afferent synapses, were found. This result suggests that N-CAM is involved in formation of the synaptic contacts between type-III cells and nerves in the taste buds.
Takeda
M
M
Department of Oral Anatomy, Higashi Nippon Gakuen University School of Dentistry, Hokkaido, Japan.
Suzuki
Y
Y
Obara
N
N
Nagai
Y
Y
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation
D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal