Cre-Mediated Recombination in Tas2r131 Cells-A Unique Way to Explore Bitter Taste Receptor Function Inside and Outside of the Taste System

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cre-Mediated Recombination in Tas2r131 Cells-A Unique Way to Explore Bitter Taste Receptor Function Inside and Outside of the Taste System

AU - Voigt, Anja

AU - Hübner, Sandra

AU - Döring, Linda

AU - Perlach, Nathalie

AU - Hermans-Borgmeyer, Irm

AU - Boehm, Ulrich

AU - Meyerhof, Wolfgang

N1 - © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

PY - 2015/11

Y1 - 2015/11

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - 10.1093/chemse/bjv049

DO - 10.1093/chemse/bjv049

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 26377344

VL - 40

SP - 627

EP - 639

JO - CHEM SENSES

JF - CHEM SENSES

SN - 0379-864X

IS - 9

ER -