Met-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8-like immunoreactivity in mammalian taste buds.
Light-microscopic immunocytochemistry for various bioactive peptides including some gastroenteropancreatic hormones and a neuronal enzyme, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), was applied to taste buds in the circumvallate papillae of rats, mice and guinea pigs. In all the species positive immunoreactivities were demonstrated for Met-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8 (Met-Enk-8). The Met-Enk-8-like immunoreactivity was confined to parts of the spindle-shaped bud cells. These cells in rats and guinea pigs displayed a concomitant immunoreactivity for NSE. In the mouse taste buds, however, there appeared no such correlation between the immunoreactivities. Considering our previous data, the present finding supports a possibility that opioid peptide(s) derived from preproenkephalin A might be the transmitter(s) of the gustatory cell.
Yoshie
S
S
Department of Oral Anatomy, Nippon Dental University School of Dentistry at Niigata, Japan.
Wakasugi
C
C
Kanazawa
H
H
Fujita
T
T
D000818:Animals; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000737:chemistry*
D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; C033453:enkephalin-Met, Arg(6)-Gly(7)-Leu(8)-; C033660:preproenkephalin; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase