title: A subset of mouse colonic goblet cells expresses the bitter taste receptor Tas2r131.
abstract: The concept that gut nutrient sensing involves taste receptors has been fueled by recent reports associating the expression of taste receptors and taste-associated signaling molecules in the gut and in gut-derived cell lines with physiological responses induced by known taste stimuli. However, for bitter taste receptors (Tas2rs), direct evidence for their functional role in gut physiology is scarce and their cellular expression pattern remained unknown. We therefore investigated Tas2r expression in mice. RT-PCR experiments assessed the presence of mRNA for Tas2rs and taste signaling molecules in the gut. A gene-targeted mouse strain was established to visualize and identify cell types expressing the bitter receptor Tas2r131. Messenger RNA for various Tas2rs and taste signaling molecules were detected by RT-PCR in the gut. Using our knock-in mouse strain we demonstrate that a subset of colonic goblet cells express Tas2r131. Cells that express this receptor are absent in the upper gut and do not correspond to enteroendocrine and brush cells. Expression in colonic goblet cells is consistent with a role of Tas2rs in defense mechanisms against potentially harmful xenobiotics.
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prandi
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bromke
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hübner
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany ; University of Saarland, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.affiliation: University of Saarland, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meyerhof
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Maik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behrens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003106:Colon / Q000166:cytology*; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C578844:Tas2r131 protein, mouse; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases