α-味蛋白与味觉感受

α-Gustducin and Taste Perception

α-参兜鞍是一种transducins样味觉特异性G蛋白,它在从鱼到人类的多种脊椎动物物种的味细胞内均有表达,是脊椎动物味觉感受中重要的调控因子之一。多方面研究显示,α-参兜鞍在苦、甜、鲜味信号转导中发挥着作用。敲除了α-参兜鞍的小鼠对苦、甜、鲜味刺激的行为学和电生理反应都有下降;分子生物学研究也发现,α-参兜鞍与介导苦、甜、鲜味信号转导的G蛋白偶联受体(G protein-coupledreceptors,GPCRs)存在不同程度地共表达。α-参兜鞍参与的信号转导途径中仍存在许多问题,这些均需要更加深入细致地研究。文章综述了α-参兜鞍在味觉信号转导中的研究进展。

α-Gustducin is a taste-specific G-protein closely related to the transducins. It is present in the taste cells of several vertebrate species, ranging from fish to humans, α-gustducin is one of the principal mediators for vertebrates＇ taste perception. Various research evidences suggest that α-gustducin is involved in bitter, sweet and umami transduction, α-gustducin knockout mice showed reduced behavioural and electrophysiological response to the three kinds of taste stimuli. The results of molecular biological studies also showed that α-gustducin partially co-expresses with G protein-coupled receptors （GPCRs） which mediate bitter, sweet and umami transduction. However, between them, the conclusions in certain aspects are different, and there are many unsolved problems in the signal transduction pathways involved α-gustducin, so thoroughly careful study should be done. Systematically summarizing research results about α-gustducin and taste signal transduction will be helpful to these question solutions and reveal the taste perception progress well.