TY - JOUR
T1 - NT4/5 mutant mice have deficiency in gustatory papillae and taste bud formation
AU - Liebl, Daniel J.
AU - Mbiene, Joseph Pascal
AU - Parada, Luis F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by NIH R01 NS33199 to L.F.P. and NIH R03 DC03503 to J.P.M.
PY - 1999/9/15
Y1 - 1999/9/15
N2 - Neurotrophins are key determinants for controlling the survival of peripheral neurons during development. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4/5 (NT4/5) exert their action through a common trkB receptor but independently support gustatory sensory neurons. To assess the role of NT4/5 during development, we examined the postnatal development and maintenance of fungiform taste buds in mice carrying a deletion of NT4/5. The absence of NT4/5 results in embryonic deficits in gustatory innervation and a reduced number of fungiform papillae at birth. No degenerative deficits of fungiform papillae were observed for the first 3 weeks of postnatal development. However, these remaining fungiform papillae were smaller in appearance and many did not contain taste pores. By postnatal day 60, there was 63% decrease in the number of fungiform papillae, and remaining papillae were smaller in size or modified into filiform-like spines. These papillae had either no taste bud or a taste bud with a reduced number of taste cells compared to controls. These findings demonstrate that the NT4/5 gene functions in the maintenance of fungiform gustatory papillae and raises the possibility for an earlier role in development.
AB - Neurotrophins are key determinants for controlling the survival of peripheral neurons during development. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4/5 (NT4/5) exert their action through a common trkB receptor but independently support gustatory sensory neurons. To assess the role of NT4/5 during development, we examined the postnatal development and maintenance of fungiform taste buds in mice carrying a deletion of NT4/5. The absence of NT4/5 results in embryonic deficits in gustatory innervation and a reduced number of fungiform papillae at birth. No degenerative deficits of fungiform papillae were observed for the first 3 weeks of postnatal development. However, these remaining fungiform papillae were smaller in appearance and many did not contain taste pores. By postnatal day 60, there was 63% decrease in the number of fungiform papillae, and remaining papillae were smaller in size or modified into filiform-like spines. These papillae had either no taste bud or a taste bud with a reduced number of taste cells compared to controls. These findings demonstrate that the NT4/5 gene functions in the maintenance of fungiform gustatory papillae and raises the possibility for an earlier role in development.
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U2 - 10.1006/dbio.1999.9385
DO - 10.1006/dbio.1999.9385
M3 - Article
C2 - 10479455
AN - SCOPUS:0033568036
SN - 0012-1606
VL - 213
SP - 378
EP - 389
JO - Developmental Biology
JF - Developmental Biology
IS - 2
ER -