Neurotrophic factors in the tongue: expression patterns, biological activity, relation to innervation and studies of neurotrophin knockout mice.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
; 855: 28-49, 1998 Nov 30.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-9929584
ABSTRACT
How taste buds develop and how they become innervated has been a matter of debate for a long time. Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT3) mRNA expression patterns suggested a possible involvement in lingual gustatory and somatosensory innervation. Studies of null-mutated mice showed that BDNF-/- mice had few abnormal taste buds and were unable to discriminate between primary tastes. NT3-/- mice had a severe loss of lingual somatosensory innervation. These novel findings may have clinical implications in rare human conditions such as familial dysautonomia and/or in more common cases of problems with loss of taste and sensation in the mouth such as those seen after injury to the nerves, either by accident or following oral/facial surgery. Knowledge about which proteins that are required to stimulate nerve fibers to grow into mucous membranes of the oral cavity during development suggests that these same proteins might become helpful in stimulating regeneration of injured nerves in patients, perhaps helping them to regain lost taste and sensory functions. Here, the presence of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) families of neurotrophic factors and receptors in the tongue is also discussed. Further, a model for the development and innervation of taste buds in mammals is proposed.
Search on Google
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Tongue
/
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
/
Nerve Growth Factors
/
Nerve Tissue Proteins
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Ann N Y Acad Sci
Year:
1998
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Sweden
Publication country:
EEUU
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS DA AMERICA
/
EUA
/
UNITED STATES
/
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
/
US
/
USA