title: Decrease in rat taste receptor cell intracellular pH is the proximate stimulus in sour taste transduction.
abstract: Taste receptor cells (TRCs) respond to acid stimulation, initiating perception of sour taste. Paradoxically, the pH of weak acidic stimuli correlates poorly with the perception of their sourness. A fundamental issue surrounding sour taste reception is the identity of the sour stimulus. We tested the hypothesis that acids induce sour taste perception by penetrating plasma membranes as H(+) ions or as undissociated molecules and decreasing the intracellular pH (pH(i)) of TRCs. Our data suggest that taste nerve responses to weak acids (acetic acid and CO(2)) are independent of stimulus pH but strongly correlate with the intracellular acidification of polarized TRCs. Taste nerve responses to CO(2) were voltage sensitive and were blocked with MK-417, a specific blocker of carbonic anhydrase. Strong acids (HCl) decrease pH(i) in a subset of TRCs that contain a pathway for H(+) entry. Both the apical membrane and the paracellular shunt pathway restrict H(+) entry such that a large decrease in apical pH is translated into a relatively small change in TRC pH(i) within the physiological range. We conclude that a decrease in TRC pH(i) is the proximate stimulus in rat sour taste transduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0551, USA. vlyall@hsc.vcu.edu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lyall
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: D Q
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Ereso
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Montrose
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Heck
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: DeSimone
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013449:Sulfonamides; D013876:Thiophenes; D019343:Citric Acid; C057921:sezolamide; D019342:Acetic Acid; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid