TMC4 is a novel chloride channel involved in high-concentration salt taste sensation

"Salty taste" sensation is evoked when sodium and chloride ions are present together in the oral cavity. The presence of an epithelial cation channel that receives Na has previously been reported. However, no molecular entity involving Cl receptors has been elucidated. We report the strong...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of physiological sciences 2021-08, Vol.71 (1), p.23-23, Article 23
Main Authors: Kasahara, Yoichi, Narukawa, Masataka, Ishimaru, Yoshiro, Kanda, Shinji, Umatani, Chie, Takayama, Yasunori, Tominaga, Makoto, Oka, Yoshitaka, Kondo, Kaori, Kondo, Takashi, Takeuchi, Ayako, Misaka, Takumi, Abe, Keiko, Asakura, Tomiko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amiloride
Analysis
Animals
Chloride Channels - genetics
HEK293 Cells
Humans
Membrane Proteins
Mice
Original Paper
Sodium Chloride
Taste
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:"Salty taste" sensation is evoked when sodium and chloride ions are present together in the oral cavity. The presence of an epithelial cation channel that receives Na has previously been reported. However, no molecular entity involving Cl receptors has been elucidated. We report the strong expression of transmembrane channel-like 4 (TMC4) in the circumvallate and foliate papillae projected to the glossopharyngeal nerve, mediating a high-concentration of NaCl. Electrophysiological analysis using HEK293T cells revealed that TMC4 was a voltage-dependent Cl channel and the consequent currents were completely inhibited by NPPB, an anion channel blocker. TMC4 allowed permeation of organic anions including gluconate, but their current amplitudes at positive potentials were less than that of Cl . Tmc4-deficient mice showed significantly weaker glossopharyngeal nerve response to high-concentration of NaCl than the wild-type littermates. These results indicated that TMC4 is a novel chloride channel that responds to high-concentration of NaCl.
ISSN:1880-6546
1880-6562
DOI:10.1186/s12576-021-00807-z