Date of Award

1-1-2012

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Organizational Unit

College of Natual Science and Mathematics

First Advisor

John C. Kinnamon, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Dwight Smith

Third Advisor

Scott Barbee

Fourth Advisor

Nancy Lorenzon

Keywords

Chemoreception, Immunohistochemistry, Norepinephrine, Taste

Abstract

Of the handful of neurotransmitters modulating taste response, norepinephrine (NE) may be the least understood. Although the physiological role of NE has been tested, it is still unclear whether the rat taste bud may serve as an endogenous source of neurotransmitter or if it must be taken up from outside the taste bud. Immunocytochemical analysis of DBH has shown that DBH–LIR is present in taste cells of the rat circumvallate papillae. Specifically, DBH–LIR is present in a subset of Type II taste cells. Nearly all (98%) DBH–LIR cells express PLCβ2–LIR, and about half (41%) of PLCβ2–LIR cells express DBH–LIR. DBH–LIR does not co–localize with NCAM, and thus, is not present in Type III cells.

NET–LIR is present in the taste cells of the rat circumvallate papillae. Double labeling of NET–LIR and IP 3R3–LIR indicates that NET is present in Type II taste cells. A large proportion (77%) of NET–LIR cells express IP3R3–LIR and all (100%) IP3R3–LIR cells express NET–LIR. A small proportion (7.8%) of NET–LIR cells also express syntaxin–1–LIR in Type III cells. About a third (32.8%) of syntaxin–1–LIR cells express NET–LIR.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Jenna Ashley Walton

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

88 p.

Discipline

Biology, Neurosciences

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