title: Cre-Mediated Recombination in Tas2r131 Cells-A Unique Way to Explore Bitter Taste Receptor Function Inside and Outside of the Taste System.
abstract: The type 2 taste receptors (Tas2rs) comprise a large family of G protein-coupled receptors that recognize compounds bitter to humans and aversive to vertebrates. Tas2rs are expressed in both gustatory and nongustatory tissues, however, identification and functional analyses of T2R-expressing cells have been difficult in most tissues. To overcome these limitations and to be able to manipulate Tas2r-expressing cells in vivo, we used gene-targeting to generate a Tas2r131-specific Cre knock-in mouse strain. We then employed a binary genetic approach to characterize Cre-mediated recombination in these animals and to investigate Tas2r131 expression during postnatal development. We demonstrate that a Cre-activated fluorescent reporter reliably visualizes Tas2r131-cells in gustatory tissue. We show that the onset of Tas2r131 as well as of α-Gustducin expression is initiated at different developmental stages depending on the type of taste bud. Furthermore, the number of Tas2r131- and α-Gustducin-expressing cells increased during postnatal development. Our results demonstrate that the Tas2r131-expressing cells constitute a subpopulation of α-Gustducin positive cells at all stages. We detected Tas2r131-expressing cells in several nongustatory tissues including lung, trachea, ovary, ganglia, and brain. Thus, the Tas2r131-Cre strain will help to dissect the functional role of Tas2r131 cells in both gustatory and nongustatory tissues in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany, Institute for Neural Signal Transduction, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, Falkenried 94, 20251 Hamburg, Germany and.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hübner
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Döring
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Perlach
authors.affiliation: Transgenic Animals Service Group, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, UKE, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Irm
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hermans-Borgmeyer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neural Signal Transduction, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, Falkenried 94, 20251 Hamburg, Germany and Present address: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Saarland, School of Medicine, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany, meyerhof@dife.de ulrich.boehm@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meyerhof
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005838:Genotype; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000378:metabolism*; D015293:Transducin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2; C075192:gustducin; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases; D015293:Transducin
keywords: Cre recombinase; bitter; gene-targeting; knock-in; taste receptor cells