Taste Receptors in the Gastrointestinal Tract. IV. Functional implications of bitter taste receptors in gastrointestinal chemosensing

• DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00411.2006
• Publication Date: 2006-11-10T02:11:02Z
• Authors: Catia Sternini
• Keywords: Taste receptor; Enteroendocrine cell; Nutrient Sensing

Changes in the luminal contents of gastrointestinal tract modulate functions, including absorption nutrients, food intake, and protection against harmful substances. The current notion is that mucosal enteroendocrine cells act as primary chemoreceptors by releasing signaling molecules response to changes environment, which turn activate nerve terminals. recent discovery taste receptors G protein subunits alpha-gustducin alpha-transducin, involved gustatory signal transduction, are expressed mucosa supports concept a chemosensory machinery tract. An understanding sensing processes responsible for generation appropriate functional specific nutrients nonnutrients clinical importance since aberrant or unsteady responses might result disease states ranging from intoxication feeding disorders inflammation. purpose this theme article discuss implications bitter deduced their localization selected populations epithelial relationship with neural pathways contents.