title: Molecular mechanisms of taste recognition: considerations about the role of saliva.
abstract: The gustatory system plays a critical role in determining food preferences and food intake, in addition to nutritive, energy and electrolyte balance. Fine tuning of the gustatory system is also crucial in this respect. The exact mechanisms that fine tune taste sensitivity are as of yet poorly defined, but it is clear that various effects of saliva on taste recognition are also involved. Specifically those metabolic polypeptides present in the saliva that were classically considered to be gut and appetite hormones (i.e., leptin, ghrelin, insulin, neuropeptide Y, peptide YY) were considered to play a pivotal role. Besides these, data clearly indicate the major role of several other salivary proteins, such as salivary carbonic anhydrase (gustin), proline-rich proteins, cystatins, alpha-amylases, histatins, salivary albumin and mucins. Other proteins like glucagon-like peptide-1, salivary immunoglobulin-A, zinc-α-2-glycoprotein, salivary lactoperoxidase, salivary prolactin-inducible protein and salivary molecular chaperone HSP70/HSPAs were also expected to play an important role. Furthermore, factors including salivary flow rate, buffer capacity and ionic composition of saliva should also be considered. In this paper, the current state of research related to the above and the overall emerging field of taste-related salivary research alongside basic principles of taste perception is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Private Practitioner, Ludvigsmindevej 14, st. Faaborg DK-5600, Denmark. fabiantiborkaroly@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tibor Károly
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Fábián
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Semmelweis University Budapest, Szentkirályi utca 47, Budapest H-1088, Hungary. beck.anita@dent.semmelweis-univ.hu.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Semmelweis University Budapest, Szentkirályi utca 47, Budapest H-1088, Hungary. fejerdy.pal@dent.semmelweis-univ.hu.
authors.forename: Pál
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fejérdy
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Semmelweis University Budapest, Szentkirályi utca 47, Budapest H-1088, Hungary. hermann.peter@dent.semmelweis-univ.hu.
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Semmelweis University Budapest, Szentkirályi utca 47, Budapest H-1088, Hungary. fabian.gabor@dent.semmelweis-univ.hu.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fábián
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D013649:Taste; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000378:metabolism; D055697:Taste Perception
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides