title: Immunohistochemical Analysis of Human Vallate Taste Buds.
abstract: The morphology of the vallate papillae from postmortem human samples was investigated with immunohistochemistry. Microscopically, taste buds were present along the inner wall of the papilla, and in some cases in the outer wall as well. The typical taste cell markers PLCβ2, GNAT3 (gustducin) and the T1R3 receptor stain elongated cells in human taste buds consistent with the Type II cells in rodents. In the human tissue, taste bud cells that stain with Type II cell markers, PLCβ2 and GNAT3, also stain with villin antibody. Two typical immunochemical markers for Type III taste cells in rodents, PGP9.5 and SNAP25, fail to stain any taste bud cells in the human postmortem tissue, although these antibodies do stain numerous nerve fibers throughout the specimen. Car4, another Type III cell marker, reacted with only a few taste cells in our samples. Finally, human vallate papillae have a general network of innervation similar to rodents and antibodies directed against SNAP25, PGP9.5, acetylated tubulin and P2X3 all stain free perigemmal nerve endings as well as intragemmal taste fibers. We conclude that with the exception of certain molecular features of Type III cells, human vallate papillae share the structural, morphological, and molecular features observed in rodents.
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Taste & Smell Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA and.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tizzano
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Taste & Smell Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA and.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grigereit
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Taste & Smell Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA and.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shultz
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Taste & Smell Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Clary
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Taste & Smell Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12801 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA tom.finger@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Finger
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D054799:Phospholipase C beta / Q000378:metabolism; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 / Q000378:metabolism; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015293:Transducin / Q000378:metabolism; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494208:SNAP25 protein, human; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25; C482860:UCHL1 protein, human; C075192:gustducin; D054799:Phospholipase C beta; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; D015293:Transducin
keywords: P2X3; PLCb2; SNAP25; glossopharyngeal; gustducin; taste bud