Developing a sense of taste
- Authors
- Kapsimali, M., and Barlow, L.A.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-121205-59
- Date
- 2013
- Source
- Seminars in cell & developmental biology 24(3): 200-209 (Review)
- Registered Authors
- Kapsimali, Marika
- Keywords
- CVP, circumvallate papilla, RTK, tyrosine kinase receptor
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Cell Differentiation
- Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
- Humans
- Signal Transduction
- Taste Buds/cytology
- Taste Buds/embryology*
- Taste Buds/growth & development
- PubMed
- 23182899 Full text @ Sem. Cell Dev. Biol.
Taste buds are found in a distributed array on the tongue surface, and are innervated by cranial nerves that convey taste information to the brain. For nearly a century, taste buds were thought to be induced by nerves late in embryonic development. However, this view has shifted dramatically. A host of studies now indicate that taste bud development is initiated and proceeds via processes that are nerve-independent, occur long before birth, and governed by cellular and molecular mechanisms intrinsic to the developing tongue. Here we review the state of our understanding of the molecular and cellular regulation of taste bud development, incorporating important new data obtained through the use of two powerful genetic systems, mouse and zebrafish.