| First Author | Clapp TR | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | FEBS Lett | Volume | 582 |
| Issue | 27 | Pages | 3783-7 |
| PubMed ID | 18930056 | Mgi Jnum | J:140655 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3814270 | Doi | 10.1016/j.febslet.2008.10.007 |
| Citation | Clapp TR, et al. (2008) Tonic activity of Galpha-gustducin regulates taste cell responsivity. FEBS Lett 582(27):3783-7 |
| abstractText | The taste-selective G protein, alpha-gustducin (alpha-gus) is homologous to alpha-transducin and activates phosphodiesterase (PDE) in vitro. alpha-Gus-knockout mice are compromized to bitter, sweet and umami taste stimuli, suggesting a central role in taste transduction. Here, we suggest a different role for Galpha-gus. In taste buds of alpha-gus-knockout mice, basal (unstimulated) cAMP levels are high compared to those of wild-type mice. Further, H-89, a cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, dramatically unmasks responses to the bitter tastant denatonium in gus-lineage cells of knockout mice. We propose that an important role of alpha-gus is to maintain cAMP levels tonically low to ensure adequate Ca(2+) signaling. |
