Zebrafish Neuromorphology Lab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Via Palatucci snc, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy.
Zebrafish Neuromorphology Lab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Via Palatucci snc, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy.
Ann Anat. 2022 Oct;244:151985. doi: 10.1016/j.aanat.2022.151985. Epub 2022 Jul 29.
Taste buds, the morphofunctional units for taste perception, transduce gustatory stimuli using G protein-coupled receptors and a complex arrangement of ion channels, among which TRPV4, a member of the TRP superfamily. Studies on taste buds development on gilthead seabream are unknown, and the TRPV4 expression on fish taste cells studies were conducted only on zebrafish.
In our study, we have investigated the histological features of the gilthead seabream tongue dorsal surface from the earliest stage of development using Masson trichrome with aniline blue staining. Additionally, the TRPV4 expression pattern was studied by means of immunohistochemical labeling and quantitative RT-PCR.
We have recorded for the first time on gilthead seabream lingual dorsal surface the presence of, stage-specific, three types of taste buds: type I, type II and type III in larvae, juveniles and adults respectively. At 40 days post-hatching, taste buds were mature-looking. TRPV4 expression was detected in a subpopulation of taste cells of larvae, juveniles, and adults. Furthermore, TRPV4 was expressed in the basal epithelial cells of the tongue at the larvae and juvenile stage, while this expression pattern was more diffused within all the epithelial cell layers in the adult.
Our findings presume a taste sensory role of TRPV4 in the three stage-specific taste buds and oral epithelia of gilthead seabream. In addition to its sensory role on the epithelial cell layers, we hypothesize that TRPV4 is implicated in epithelial cells differentiation and membrane protection.
味蕾是味觉感知的形态功能单位，通过 G 蛋白偶联受体和一系列复杂的离子通道来转导味觉刺激，其中 TRPV4 是 TRP 超家族的成员。关于金头鲷味蕾发育的研究尚不清楚，而鱼类味觉细胞中 TRPV4 的表达研究仅在斑马鱼上进行过。
在本研究中，我们使用 Masson 三色和苯胺蓝染色法研究了金头鲷舌背表面从最早发育阶段的组织学特征。此外，还通过免疫组织化学标记和定量 RT-PCR 研究了 TRPV4 的表达模式。
我们首次在金头鲷舌背表面记录到三种类型的味蕾：I 型、II 型和 III 型，分别存在于幼虫、幼鱼和成鱼中。在孵化后 40 天，味蕾已经成熟。TRPV4 表达在幼虫、幼鱼和成鱼的部分味觉细胞中。此外，在幼虫和幼鱼阶段，TRPV4 表达在舌的基底上皮细胞中，而在成鱼中，这种表达模式在所有上皮细胞层中更为广泛。
我们的发现推测 TRPV4 在金头鲷的三种特定发育阶段的味蕾和口腔上皮中具有味觉感受作用。除了在上皮细胞层中的感觉作用外，我们假设 TRPV4 参与上皮细胞的分化和膜保护。
