Sensing the taste of food
Since childhood, we were told that taste is detected by the tongue. This is partly true since the tongue surface is covered with taste buds, flower bud-like structures that recognise the taste of the food and transmit it to the brain (1, 2). However, taste buds are also present in the soft palate, pharynx, and larynx surrounding the oral region. Our tongues alone boast of approximately 5,000 taste buds (1,3), each being around for 8 and 12 days (3). Each bud is made of 50 to 100 cells called taste bud or gustatory cells. It is these cells that are responsible for recognizing each of the tastes we perceive (1–3).
- Saltiness *Exact mechanism still to be confirmed (4)
- Sourness
- Sweetness
- Bitterness
- Umami
Life of a taste bud
There are four types of taste bud cells. Out of them, only two are sensing the taste: type II, which responds to a single taste, and type III, which senses every type of taste. The third cell type present in the taste bud plays a glial-like function (type I), although some scientists suggest they could recognize the presence of salt in the food (1, 2, 5). The function of Merkel-like type IV cells is still being studied, but so far it seems to be unrelated to taste recognition (1). The life of an average taste bud is very dynamic. Within only 8 to 12 days, new taste bud cells are maturing to execute their sensory functions, then going into senescence, and finally dying (3). However, more recent studies show that a single taste bud contains short- and long-lived cells, allowing the nervous system to grow new connections with the developing cells (5).
How lifestyle impacts our food preferences
Currently, scientists are working to uncover the exact mechanisms of taste sensing by taste bud cells. Especially in recent years, more focus was put on explaining taste impairment due to viral diseases, e.g. COVID-19 (3, 6). However, this also allows scientists to look more deeply into the problem of the deterioration of taste due to aging (3, 6–8). On the other hand, studies have shown that our lifestyle can impact taste preferences. For example, exercise modifies fatty acid perception and metabolism, while a high-fat diet induces a change in salty taste preference, as shown in studies performed in rodents (9–11).
Recognizing and appreciating the labs working in this space
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, USA https://monell.org/
- Chaudhari Lab, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, USA https://med.miami.edu/labs/chaudhari-lab
- Torregrossa Laboratory of Taste and Feeding, Buffalo, USA https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/torregrossa-laboratory.html
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, USA http://cst.ufl.edu/
- Barlow Lab, University of Colorado, USA : https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/cell-and-developmental-biology/faculty/linda-barlow
- TasteLabHUJI, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Izrael https://biochem-food-nutrition.agri.huji.ac.il/mashaniv
References
- Suzuki, Takashi. “Cellular mechanisms in taste buds.” The Bulletin of Tokyo Dental College vol. 48,4 (2007): 151–61. doi:10.2209/tdcpublication.48.151
- Doyle, Máire E et al. “Physiology of the tongue with emphasis on taste transduction.” Physiological reviews vol. 103,2 (2023): 1193–1246. doi:10.1152/physrev.00012.2022
- Feng, Pu et al. “Taste bud homeostasis in health, disease, and aging.” Chemical senses vol. 39,1 (2014): 3–16. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjt059
- Puri, Sonali, and Youngseok Lee. “Salt Sensation and Regulation.” Metabolites vol. 11,3 175. 17 Mar. 2021, doi:10.3390/metabo11030175
- Rodriguez, Yuryanni A et al. “”Tripartite Synapses” in Taste Buds: A Role for Type I Glial-like Taste Cells.” The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience vol. 41,48 (2021): 9860–9871. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1444–21.2021
- Guan, Guangzhao et al. “Review of taste and taste disturbance in COVID-19 patients.” The New Zealand medical journal vol. 135,1549 81–91. 4 Feb. 2022
- Barlow, Linda A. “The sense of taste: Development, regeneration, and dysfunction.” WIREs mechanisms of disease vol. 14,3 (2022): e1547. doi:10.1002/wsbm.1547
- Chia, Chee W et al. “Endocrinology of Taste with Aging.” Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America vol. 52,2 (2023): 295–315. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2022.10.002
- Ahart, Zachary C et al. “Differential Effects of Diet and Weight on Taste Responses in Diet-Induced Obese Mice.” Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) vol. 28,2 (2020): 284–292. doi:10.1002/oby.22684
- Shanmugamprema, Deepankumar et al. “Exercise modifies fatty acid perception and metabolism.” Acta physiologica (Oxford, England), e13968. 27 Mar. 2023, doi:10.1111/apha.13968
- Serirukchutarungsee, Saranya et al. “Two-generation exposure to a high-fat diet induces the change of salty taste preference in rats.” Scientific reports vol. 13,1 5742. 7 Apr. 2023, doi:10.1038/s41598–023–31662–0
About the author:
DR. MAŁGORZATA ‘MASIA’ MAKSYMOWICZ
Content Editor The League of Extraordinary Celltypes, Sci-Illustrate Stories
Dr. Maksymowicz did her Ph.D. in Cell Biology (IIMCB, Poland) studying the intracellular trafficking and inflammatory signalling of a cytokine receptor. She did a 1-year post-doc at Nencki Institute, Poland, studying the protein- and RNA-binding properties of proteins. Currently, she is doing a post-doc at Barts Cancer Institute, UK, studying the links between endocytosis and tumorigenesis. Dr. Maksymowicz is passionate about science and loves to combine different fields of biology, always trying to seek beauty in nature.
About the artist:
NELLY AGHEKYAN
Contributing Artist The League of Extraordinary Celltypes, Sci-Illustrate Stories
Nelli Aghekyan, did a bachelor's and master's in Architecture in Armenia, after studying architecture and interior design for 6 years, she concentrated on her drawing skills and continued her path in the illustration world. She works mainly on children's book illustrations, some of her books are now being published. Currently living in Italy, she works as a full-time freelance artist, collaborating with different companies and clients.
About the animator:
DR. EMANUELE PETRETTO
Animator The League of Extraordinary Celltypes, Sci-Illustrate Stories
Dr. Petretto received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, focusing on the behavior of matter at nanoscopic scales and the stability of colloidal systems. Using molecular dynamics simulations, he explored the delicate interaction among particles, interfaces, and solvents.
Currently, he is fully pursuing another delicate interaction: the intricate interplay between art and science. Through data visualization, motion design, and games, he wants to show the wonders of the complexity surrounding us.
About the series:
The League of Extraordinary Cell types
The team at Sci-Illustrate and Endosymbiont bring to you an exciting series where we dive deep into the wonderous cell types in our body, that make our hearts tick ❤.
