title: Defects in tongue papillae and taste sensation indicate a problem with neurotrophic support in various neurological diseases.
abstract: Neurotrophic support of developing neurons by neurotrophins is of critical importance in the development of fungiform papillae and taste buds. A number of neurological disorders show a decrease or increase in fungiform papillae or taste sensation. These can be grouped into disorders with reduced papillae (Machado-Joseph disease, Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome, familial dysautonomia, dystonia musculorum, and Behçet's disease) and those with taste defects only (Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV, and diabetes mellitus). In addition, Parkinson's disease results in increased taste sensation. Here, we hypothesize that the main problem in these disorders is either not enough or too much neurotrophic support. Proneurotrophic drugs such as some antidepressants and aldose reductase inhibitors may prove useful in the treatment of these sensory and central nervous system disorders. Similarly, antineurotrophic drugs may also be useful in Parkinson's disease. Here we show that the protein involved in familial dysautonomia, IKAP, localizes to keratin filaments in HeLa cells, suggesting a role for the keratin cytoskeleton in neurotrophic support.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia. jgardiner@mail.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Jessica May
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vanslambrouck
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Braet
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marc
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Overall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020271:Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; C114720:Elp1 protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; D007633:Keratins