title: Skn-1a (Pou2f3) specifies taste receptor cell lineage.
abstract: Functional diversification of taste cells is crucial for proper discrimination of taste qualities. We found the homeodomain protein Skn-1a (Pou2f3) to be expressed in sweet, umami and bitter taste cells. Skn-1a-deficient mice lacked electrophysiological and behavioral responses to sweet, umami and bitter tastes, as a result of a complete absence of sweet, umami and bitter cells and the concomitant expansion of sour cells. Skn-1a is critical for generating and balancing the diverse composition of taste cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. imatsumoto@monell.org
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohmoto
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narukawa
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D050810:Octamer Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050810:Octamer Transcription Factors; C084342:Pou2f3 protein, mouse