A biomimetic bioelectronic tongue: A switch for On- and Off- response of acid sensations.
The perception of sour taste in mammals is important for its basic modality properties and avoiding toxic substances. We explore a biomimetic bioelectronic tongue, which integrate MEA (microelectrode array) and taste receptor cell for acid detection as a switch. However, the acid-sensing mechanism and coding of the taste receptor cells in the periphery is not well understood, with long-standing debate. Therefore, we firstly construct a Hodgkin-Huxley type mathematical model of whole-cell acid-sensing taste receptor cells based on the electrophysiologic patch clamp recordings with different acid sensitive receptor expressing and different acidic stimulations. ASICs and PKDL channels are two most promising candidates for acidic sensation. ASICs channels contribute to the On response, and PKDL channels coding the Offset stimulations respectively, which function as a pair for switch. Therefore, with the advantage of effective and noninvasive detection for MEA, a sour taste biosensor based on MEA and taste receptor cells was designed and established to detect sour response from the elementary acid sensitive taste receptor cells during and after stimulus. From simulation and extracelluar potential recordings, we found the biomimetic bioelectronic tongue was acid-sensitive, as acid stimulation pH decrease, the firing frequency significantly increase. Furthermore, this reliable and effective MEA based bioelectronic tongue functioned as a switch for stimulation On and Off. This study provided a powerful platform to recognize sour stimulation and help elucidate the sour taste sensation and coding mechanism.
CAS key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China. Electronic address: zhangw@sibet.ac.cn.
Wei
W
Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: chenpeihua@ibp.ac.cn.
Peihua
P
Chen
CAS key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China.
Lianqun
L
Zhou
Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Zhen
Z
Qin
Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Keqiang
K
Gao
CAS key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China.
Jia
J
Yao
CAS key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China.
Chuanyu
C
Li
Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China. Electronic address: cnpwang@zju.edu.cn.
Ping
P
Wang
D000818:Animals; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D062609:Electronic Nose; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008839:Microelectrodes; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013649:Taste; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000166:cytology*
Bioelectronic tongue; Biomimetic hybrid sensor; Microelectrode array (MEA); Off response; On response; Sour taste sensation