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Nutritional Immunology and Inflammation/Immunometabolism (Poster Session)

(P14-019-24) Lingual Taste Papillae Contribute to Immune Surveillance

Sunday, June 30, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 488
ELPC PRAC
Disclosure(s):
Salin Raj Palayyan, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: The taste papillae are continually exposed to a diverse array of microbes, but the immune pathways in taste papillae are not well studied. Mammals have a remarkable mucosal immune system consisting of microfold (M) cells that transcytose microbes and present them to underlying immune cells. The growth factor RANKL triggers the differentiation of M cells through a pathway requiring the transcription factor Spib. We aimed to investigate the role of taste papillae in mucosal immune response through the M cell pathway.

Methods: We employed scRNASeq, RNAscope, immunohistochemistry and qPCR of taste cells and lingual immune cells to determine the expression of M cell and immune cell markers. The expressions of M cell and immune cell marker genes were quantified in RANKL administered C57BL/6J (WT) and Spib knockout (SpibKO) mice. Brief access taste tests were done to quantify changes in the taste preference in WT and SpibKO mice.

Results: scRNASeq and histological analyses revealed the M cells like gene expression pattern in type II taste cells and von Ebner's gland duct cells (VDC). In addition, multiple subtypes of immune cells were identified in the lingual lamina propria, including T and B cells, all three subtypes of innate lymphoid cells, monocytes, macrophages, Langerhans cells, neutrophils, and mast cells. RANKL strongly upregulated M cell marker genes in taste papillae. SpibKO mice were unresponsive to RANKL and showed an increased preference for sweet and umami tastants.

Conclusions: Our results show that type II taste cells participate in mucosal immune surveillance. In addition, we were able to comprehensively identify taste papillae associated immune cell subtypes. Our study lays the groundwork for future studies on the role of taste cells in mucosal immunity.

Funding Sources: Supported by NIDCR/NIH grant #1R03DE032417, a grant from the Nebraska Centre for the Prevention of Obesity Diseases, and startup funds from UNL to Sunil K Sukumaran.