Taste transduction occurs in taste buds in the tongue epithelium -The Ca 2+ -activated Clchannels TMEM16A and TMEM16B play relevant physiological roles in several sensory systems -Here, we report that TMEM16A, but not TMEM16B, is expressed in the apical part of taste buds -Large Ca 2+ -activated Cl − currents blocked by Ani-9, a selective inhibitor of TMEM16A, are measured in type I, but not in type II or III taste cells -ATP indirectly activates Ca 2+ -activated Clcurrents in type I cells through TMEM16A channels -These results indicate that TMEM16A is functional in type I taste cells and contribute to understanding the largely unknown physiological roles of these cells