scholarly journals Taste Receptors in Upper Airway Innate Immunity

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Carey ◽  
Robert J. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Innate Immunity ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Differential Susceptibility ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Airway Infections ◽  
Chemosensory Pathways ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics ◽  
The Impact

Taste receptors, first identified on the tongue, are best known for their role in guiding our dietary preferences. The expression of taste receptors for umami, sweet, and bitter have been demonstrated in tissues outside of the oral cavity, including in the airway, brain, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive organs. The extra-oral taste receptor chemosensory pathways and the endogenous taste receptor ligands are generally unknown, but there is increasing data suggesting that taste receptors are involved in regulating some aspects of innate immunity, and may potentially control the composition of the nasal microbiome in healthy individuals or patients with upper respiratory diseases like chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). For this reason, taste receptors may serve as potential therapeutic targets, providing alternatives to conventional antibiotics. This review focuses on the physiology of sweet (T1R) and bitter (T2R) taste receptors in the airway and their activation by secreted bacterial products. There is particular focus on T2R38 in sinonasal ciliated cells, as well as the sweet and bitter receptors found on specialized sinonasal solitary chemosensory cells. Additionally, this review explores the impact of genetic variations in these receptors on the differential susceptibility of patients to upper airway infections, such as CRS.

scholarly journals Taste Receptors: New Players in Sperm Biology

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Luddi ◽  
Laura Governini ◽  
Dorke Wilmskötter ◽  
Thomas Gudermann ◽  
Ingrid Boekhoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Recent Observation ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
The Body ◽  
Male Reproduction ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Small Clusters ◽  
The Impact

Taste receptors were first described as sensory receptors located on the tongue, where they are expressed in small clusters of specialized epithelial cells. However, more studies were published in recent years pointing to an expression of these proteins not only in the oral cavity but throughout the body and thus to a physiological role beyond the tongue. The recent observation that taste receptors and components of the coupled taste transduction cascade are also expressed during the different phases of spermatogenesis as well as in mature spermatozoa from mouse to humans and the overlap between the ligand spectrum of taste receptors with compounds in the male and female reproductive organs makes it reasonable to assume that sperm “taste” these different cues in their natural microenvironments. This assumption is assisted by the recent observations of a reproductive phenotype of different mouse lines carrying a targeted deletion of a taste receptor gene as well as the finding of a significant correlation between human male infertility and some polymorphisms in taste receptors genes. In this review, we depict recent findings on the role of taste receptors in male fertility, especially focusing on their possible involvement in mechanisms underlying spermatogenesis and post testicular sperm maturation. We also highlight the impact of genetic deletions of taste receptors, as well as their polymorphisms on male reproduction.

scholarly journals Role of Taste Receptors as Sentinels of Innate Immunity in the Upper Airway

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil N. Patel ◽  
Alan D. Workman ◽  
Noam A. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Airway Epithelium ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Airway Disease ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Taste Sensation ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Evidence is emerging that shows taste receptors serve functions outside of taste sensation of the tongue. Taste receptors have been found in tissue across the human body, including the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, brain, and airway. These extraoral taste receptors appear to be important in modulating the innate immune response through detection of pathogens. This review discusses taste receptor signaling, focusing on the G-protein–coupled receptors that detect bitter and sweet compounds in the upper airway epithelium. Emphasis is given to recent studies which link the physiology of sinonasal taste receptors to clinical manifestation of upper airway disease.

scholarly journals Receptor Regulation in Taste: Can Diet Influence How We Perceive Foods?

J ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashkan Shahbandi ◽  
Ezen Choo ◽  
Robin Dando
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Exposure ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Receptor Regulation ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Receptor Sensitivity ◽  
Small Pilot Study ◽  
Monosodium Salt ◽  
The Impact

Taste buds are the dedicated sensory end organs of taste, comprising a complex and evolving profile of signaling elements. The sensation and ultimate perception of taste depends on the expression of a diverse array of receptors and channels that sense their respective tastes. Receptor regulation is a recognized and well-studied phenomenon in many systems, observed in opioid addiction, insulin resistance and caffeine tolerance. Results from human sensory studies suggest that receptor sensitivity or expression level may decrease after chronic exposure to respective tastants through diet. We review data supporting the theory that taste receptors may become downregulated with exposure to a specific tastant, along with presenting data from a small pilot study, showing the impact of long-term tastant exposure on taste receptor expression in mice. Mice treated with monosodium salt monohydrate (MSG), saccharin and NaCl (typically appetitive tastes) all displayed a significant decrease in mRNA expression for respective umami, sweet and salty receptors/sensory channels. Reduced sensitivity to appetitive tastes may promote overconsumption of foods high in such stimuli.

scholarly journals Spring Freeze Damage of Pecan Bloom: A Review

Horticulturae ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Amandeep Kaur ◽  
Louise Ferguson ◽  
Niels Maness ◽  
Becky Carroll ◽  
William Reid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Height ◽  
The United States ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
The Us ◽  
Nut Production ◽  
Freeze Damage ◽  
Terminal Buds ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

Pecan is native to the United States. The US is the world’s largest pecan producer with an average yearly production of 250 to 300 million pounds; 80 percent of the world’s supply. Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, Louisiana, and Florida are the major US pecan producing states. Pecan trees frequently suffer from spring freeze at bud break and bloom as the buds are quite sensitive to freeze damage. This leads to poor flower and nut production. This review focuses on the impact of spring freeze during bud differentiation and flower development. Spring freeze kills the primary terminal buds, the pecan tree has a second chance for growth and flowering through secondary buds. Unfortunately, secondary buds have less bloom potential than primary buds and nut yield is reduced. Spring freeze damage depends on severity of the freeze, bud growth stage, cultivar type and tree age, tree height and tree vigor. This review discusses the impact of temperature on structure and function of male and female reproductive organs. It also summarizes carbohydrate relations as another factor that may play an important role in spring growth and transition of primary and secondary buds to flowers.

Aerodynamics Analysis of the Impact of Nasal Surgery on Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Nasal Obstruction

ORL ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Lifeng Li ◽  
Demin Han ◽  
Hongrui Zang ◽  
Nyall R. London
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Nasal Obstruction ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Apnea Hypopnea Index ◽  
Nasal Surgery ◽  
Subjective Sleep Quality ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of nasal surgery on airflow characteristics in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by comparing the alterations of airflow characteristics within the nasal and palatopharyngeal cavities. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Thirty patients with OSA and nasal obstruction who underwent nasal surgery were enrolled. A pre- and postoperative 3-dimensional model was constructed, and alterations of airflow characteristics were assessed using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The other subjective and objective clinical indices were also assessed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> By comparison with the preoperative value, all postoperative subjective symptoms statistically improved (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05), while the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) changed little (<i>p</i> = 0.492); the postoperative airflow velocity and pressure in both nasal and palatopharyngeal cavities, nasal and palatopharyngeal pressure differences, and total upper airway resistance statistically decreased (all <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). A significant difference was derived for correlation between the alteration of simulation metrics with subjective improvements (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05), except with the AHI (<i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Nasal surgery can decrease the total resistance of the upper airway and increase the nasal airflow volume and subjective sleep quality in patients with OSA and nasal obstruction. The altered airflow characteristics might contribute to the postoperative reduction of pharyngeal collapse in a subset of OSA patients.

scholarly journals Regiospecific Methylation of a Dietary Flavonoid Scaffold Selectively Enhances IL-1β Production following Toll-like Receptor 2 Stimulation in THP-1 Monocytes

2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (29) ◽  
pp. 21126-21135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eng-Kiat Lim ◽  
Paul J. Mitchell ◽  
Najmeeyah Brown ◽  
Rebecca A. Drummond ◽  
Gordon D. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Innate Immunity ◽  
Natural Products ◽  
Intestinal Microflora ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Inflammasome Activation ◽  
Toll Like Receptor ◽  
Immune Health ◽  
Toll Like Receptor 2 ◽  
Dietary Flavonoid ◽  
The Impact

It is now recognized that innate immunity to intestinal microflora plays a significant role in mediating immune health, and modulation of microbial sensing may underpin the impact of plant natural products in the diet or when used as nutraceuticals. In this context, we have examined five classes of plant-derived flavonoids (flavonols, flavones, flavanones, catechins, and cyanidin) for their ability to regulate cytokine release induced by the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonist Pam3CSK4. We found that the flavonols selectively co-stimulated IL-1β secretion but had no impact on the secretion of IL-6. Importantly, this costimulation of TLR2-induced cytokine secretion was dependent on regiospecific methylation of the flavonol scaffold with a rank order of quercetin-3,4′-dimethylether > quercetin-3-methylether > casticin. The mechanism underpinning this costimulation did not involve enhanced inflammasome activation. In contrast, the methylated flavonols enhanced IL-1β gene expression through transcriptional regulation, involving mechanisms that operate downstream of the initial NF-κB and STAT1 activation events. These studies demonstrate an exquisite level of control of scaffold bioactivity by regiospecific methylation, with important implications for understanding how natural products affect innate immunity and for their development as novel immunomodulators for clinical use.

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