胃肠道内容物的分子识别对食物的消化、摄取量的控制、胰岛素的分泌、新陈代谢等起到重要作用。这些过程很有可能受到激素/中枢神经通路的介导。但是,有关于胃肠道的味觉识别机制还不清楚。本文综述了最新的研究结果,表明了舌上皮组织的特异性味觉受体细胞的化学感应机制在内分泌细胞中也发挥作用,用来感知肠腔内容物的化学组成。
Molecular sensing by gastrointestinal(GI) cells plays a crucial role in the control of multiple fundamental functions including digestion, regulation of caloric intake, pancreatic insulin secretion, and metabolism. These processes are likely to be mediated by initiation of humoral and/or neural pathways. However, the gastrointestinal sense of taste recognition events and mechanism(s) involved are still un- known. This article reviews the current evidences that the chemosensory machinery discovered in special- ized taste receptor cells of lingual epithelium is operational in enteroendocrine cells to sense the chemical composition of luminal contents of gut.