Research ReportQuantitative analysis of taste bud cell numbers in fungiform and soft palate taste buds of mice

Mammalian taste bud cells (TBCs) consist of several cell types equipped with different taste receptor molecules, and hence the ratio of cell types in a taste bud constitutes the taste responses of the taste bud. Here we show that the population of immunohistochemically identified cell types per taste bud is proportional to the number of total TBCs in the taste bud or the area of the taste bud in fungiform papillae, and that the proportions differ among cell types. This result is applicable to soft palate taste buds. However, the density of almost all cell types, the population of cell types divided by the area of the respective taste buds, is significantly higher in soft palates. These results suggest that the turnover of TBCs is regulated to keep the ratio of each cell type constant, and that taste responsiveness is different between fungiform and soft palate taste buds.

Research Highlights► The population of each cell type in a taste bud is proportional to the area of the taste bud in fungiform and soft palate taste buds. ►The proportion is different among cell types in each locus. ► The proportion is also different between loci. ► Typically, the proportion of the cell type that senses sweet, umami, or bitter substances is higher in soft palate taste buds than in fungiform ones.