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Open Access
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The neuronal logic of how internal states control food choice
High-resolution volumetric calcium imaging was used to create a functional atlas of the Drosophila melanogaster ventral brain and identify how and where metabolic and reproductive states alter processing of food-related sensory stimuli.
- Daniel Münch
- , Dennis Goldschmidt
- & Carlos Ribeiro
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Letter |
The coding of valence and identity in the mammalian taste system
The identity and hedonic value of tastes are encoded in distinct neural substrates; in mice, the amygdala is necessary and sufficient to drive valence-specific behaviours in response to bitter or sweet taste stimuli, and the cortex can independently represent taste identity.
- Li Wang
- , Sarah Gillis-Smith
- & Charles S. Zuker
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Letter |
Rewiring the taste system
Taste-receptor cells use distinct semaphorins to guide wiring of the peripheral taste system; targeted ectopic expression of SEMA3A or SEMA7A leads to bitter neurons responding to sweet tastes or sweet neurons responding to bitter tastes.
- Hojoon Lee
- , Lindsey J. Macpherson
- & Nicholas J. P. Ryba
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Letter |
Sweet and bitter taste in the brain of awake behaving animals
Activation of the sweet and bitter cortical fields in awake mice evokes predetermined behavioural programs, independent of learning and experience, illustrating the hardwired and innate nature of the sense of taste.
- Yueqing Peng
- , Sarah Gillis-Smith
- & Charles S. Zuker
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Letter |
Bees prefer foods containing neonicotinoid pesticides
It has been suggested that the negative effects on bees of neonicotinoid pesticides could be averted in field conditions if they chose not to forage on treated nectar; here field-level neonicotinoid doses are used in laboratory experiments to show that honeybees and bumblebees do not avoid neonicotinoid-treated food and instead actually prefer it.
- Sébastien C. Kessler
- , Erin Jo Tiedeken
- & Geraldine A. Wright
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Letter |
The neural representation of taste quality at the periphery
Using two-photon microendoscopy and genetically encoded calcium indicators the tuning properties of the first neural station of the gustatory system are explored; results reveal that ganglion neurons are matched to specific taste receptor cells, supporting a labelled line model of information transfer in the taste system.
- Robert P. J. Barretto
- , Sarah Gillis-Smith
- & Charles S. Zuker
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Letter |
CALHM1 ion channel mediates purinergic neurotransmission of sweet, bitter and umami tastes
The voltage-gated ion channel CALHM1 is vital to taste-stimuli-evoked ATP release from sweet-, bitter- and umami-sensing taste bud cells in mice, but does not seem relevant to the recognition of sour and salty tastes.
- Akiyuki Taruno
- , Valérie Vingtdeux
- & J. Kevin Foskett
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Letter |
High salt recruits aversive taste pathways
High concentrations of salt activate sour- and bitter-taste-sensing cells in the tongues of mice, and genetic silencing of these pathways abolishes behavioural aversion to concentrated salt; this ‘co-opting’ of the two primary aversive taste pathways (sour and bitter) may have evolved so that high salt levels reliably trigger behavioural rejection.
- Yuki Oka
- , Matthew Butnaru
- & Charles S. Zuker
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Outlook |
Sensory science: Partners in flavour
Our perception of food draws on a combination of taste, smell, feel, sight and sound.
- Nicholas Bakalar
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Outlook |
Technology: The taste of things to come
Artificial tongues that mimic the human sensory experience could aid the development of better and more consistently flavoured foods.
- Neil Savage
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Outlook |
Perspective: Complexities of flavour
Is flavour an intrinsic objective property, or a subjective experience that varies from person to person? Barry Smith sorts out the implications.
- Barry Smith
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Outlook |
Food science: Taste bud hackers
Scientists and psychologists are trying to trick our mouths and minds into enjoying foods that are better for us.
- Lauren Gravitz
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Outlook |
Gustatory system: The finer points of taste
As more receptors are defined, researchers will further unlock the mechanics of taste. How the mind perceives these sensory signals is another matter.
- Bijal P. Trivedi
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Outlook |
Evolutionary biology: The lost appetites
Many vertebrates can detect the same five basic tastes that humans can, but there are exceptions. Are the differences caused by a change in diet?
- Ewen Callaway
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Outlook |
Neuroscience: Hardwired for taste
Research into human taste receptors extends beyond the tongue to some unexpected places.
- Bijal P. Trivedi
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News |
Carnivores pick meats over sweets
Meat-eating animals lack genes involved in detecting sweet flavours
- Ewen Callaway
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Research Highlights |
Bitter aperitifs to aid digestion
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Research Highlights |
Neurobiology: The source of sour taste
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Letter |
The cells and peripheral representation of sodium taste in mice
Mammals are repelled by large concentrations of salts but attracted to low concentrations of sodium. In mice, the latter behaviour can be blocked by the ion channel inhibitor amiloride. Here, mice have been produced lacking the drug's target sodium channel, ENaC, specifically in taste receptor neurons. It is confirmed that sodium sensing, like the four other taste modalities (sweet, sour, bitter and umami), is mediated by a dedicated 'labelled line'.
- Jayaram Chandrashekar
- , Christina Kuhn
- & Charles S. Zuker