Overlapping representation of primary tastes in a defined region of the gustatory cortex

Fletcher, Max L.; Ogg, M. Cameron; Lu, Lianyi; Ogg, Robert J.; Boughter, John D.

doi:10.1101/114454

Cited by 5 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(69 reference statements)

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“…In the periphery, the majority of tasteresponsive neurons respond to a single taste quality 7 . Furthermore, sweet and bitter tastes are relayed via separate pathways, although there are conflicting reports about whether there are spatially distinct regions of the cortex associated with each taste [8][9][10] . However, electrophysiological recordings from neurons throughout the central taste circuit show more complex responses.…”

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confidence: 99%

Satb2 neurons in the parabrachial nucleus mediate taste perception

et al. 2021

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The neural circuitry mediating taste has been mapped out from the periphery to the cortex, but genetic identity of taste-responsive neurons has remained elusive. Here, we describe a population of neurons in the gustatory region of the parabrachial nucleus that express the transcription factor Satb2 and project to taste-associated regions, including the gustatory thalamus and insular cortex. Using calcium imaging in awake, freely licking mice, we show that Satb2 neurons respond to the five basic taste modalities. Optogenetic activation of these neurons enhances taste preferences, whereas chronic inactivation decreases the magnitude of taste preferences in both brief- and long-access taste tests. Simultaneous inactivation of Satb2 and calcitonin gene-related peptide neurons in the PBN abolishes responses to aversive tastes. These data suggest that taste information in the parabrachial nucleus is conveyed by multiple populations of neurons, including both Satb2 and calcitonin gene-related peptide neurons.

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Satb2 neurons in the parabrachial nucleus mediate taste perception

et al. 2021

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“…(c) Representation of spatially overlapping taste quality responses in central gustatory cortex reported in Fletcher et al . 30 (d) Representation of overlapping electrophysiological responses to taste stimuli in awake animals along both the dorsal-ventral and rostrocaudal axes of gustatory cortex reported by Levitan et al . 10 (e) Representation of cortical responses to sweet, bitter, and aversive non-taste stimuli such as lithium chloride injection and shock in posterior gustatory cortex reported by Gehrlach et al .…”

Section: Spatial Organization Of Taste Coding In Insular Cortexmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Neural tracing studies in rodents demonstrate that terminals from taste thalamic projection cells are densest within dysgranular IC, but taste-responsive neurons have been found in all three divisions. 1,2,30–32 Other apparent taste-related inputs appear to originate from the amygdala and parabrachial nucleus of the pons; in turn, neurons in IC project to, and modulate taste responses in, a number of cortical and subcortical targets, including brainstem taste relays. 1,33,34…”

Section: Insular Cortex Is Multimodal and Highly Interconnectedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, Fletcher et al. 30 used 2 P imaging with the calcium reporter GCaMP6s expressed in IC to investigate responses to basic taste stimuli in neurons in cortical layers 2/3. 30 Similar to previous physiological studies, neurons were either broadly or narrowly tuned, and no quality-specific spatial organization of best-responder cells was found (Figure 1(c)).…”

Section: Spatial Organization Of Taste Coding In Insular Cortexmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(a) Representative sagittal view of the location of insular and gustatory cortex. The boundaries of gustatory cortex as defined by projections of the gustatory thalamus 30,52 are denoted with dashed vertical lines. Granular insular cortex (GI), dysgranular insular cortex (DI), agranular insular cortex (AI).…”

Section: Spatial Organization Of Taste Coding In Insular Cortexmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Taste coding strategies in insular cortex

Staszko

Boughter

Fletcher

2020

Exp Biol Med (Maywood)

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While the cortical representation of sensory stimuli is well described for some sensory systems, a clear understanding of the cortical representation of taste stimuli remains elusive. Recent investigations have focused on both spatial and temporal organization of taste responses in the putative taste region of insular cortex. This review highlights recent literature focused on spatiotemporal coding strategies in insular cortex. These studies are examined in the context of the organization and function of the entire insular cortex, rather than a specific gustatory region of insular cortex. In regard to a taste quality-specific map, imaging studies have reported conflicting results, whereas electrophysiology studies have described a broad distribution of taste-responsive neurons found throughout insular cortex with no spatial organization. The current collection of evidence suggests that insular cortex may be organized into a hedonic or “viscerotopic” map, rather than one ordered according to taste quality. Further, it has been proposed that cortical taste responses can be separated into temporal “epochs” representing stimulus identity and palatability. This coding strategy presents a potential framework, whereby the coordinated activity of a population of neurons allows for the same neurons to respond to multiple taste stimuli or even other sensory modalities, a well-documented phenomenon in insular cortex neurons. However, these representations may not be static, as several studies have demonstrated that both spatial representation and temporal dynamics of taste coding change with experience. Collectively, these studies suggest that cortical taste representation is not organized in a spatially discrete map, but rather is plastic and spatially dispersed, using temporal information to encode multiple types of information about ingested stimuli. Impact statement The organization of taste coding in insular cortex is widely debated. While early work has focused on whether taste quality is encoded via labeled line or ensemble mechanisms, recent work has attempted to delineate the spatial organization and temporal components of taste processing in insular cortex. Recent imaging and electrophysiology studies have reported conflicting results in regard to the spatial organization of cortical taste responses, and many studies ignore potentially important temporal dynamics when investigating taste processing. This review highlights the latest research in these areas and examines them in the context of the anatomy and physiology of the insular cortex in general to provide a more comprehensive description of taste coding in insular cortex.

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Central taste anatomy and physiology

Vincis

Fontanini

2019

Handbook of Clinical Neurology

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The gustatory system contributes to the flavor of foods and beverages and communicates information about nutrients and poisons. This system has evolved to detect and ultimately respond to hydrophilic molecules dissolved in saliva. Taste receptor cells, located in taste buds and distributed throughout the oral cavity, activate nerve afferents that project to the brainstem. From here, information propagates to thalamic, subcortical, and cortical areas, where it is integrated with information from other sensory systems and with homeostatic, visceral, and affective processes. There is considerable divergence, as well as convergence, of information between multiple regions of the central nervous system that interact with the taste pathways, with reciprocal connections occurring between the involved regions. These widespread interactions among multiple systems are crucial for the perception of food. For example, memory, hunger, satiety, and visceral changes can directly affect and can be affected by the experience of tasting. In this chapter, we review the literature on the central processing of taste with a specific focus on the anatomical and physiological responses of single neurons. Emphasis is placed on how information is distributed along multiple systems with the goal of better understanding how the rich and complex sensations associated with flavor emerge from large scale, systems-wide, interactions.

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Overlapping representation of primary tastes in a defined region of the gustatory cortex

Cited by 5 publications

References 46 publications

Satb2 neurons in the parabrachial nucleus mediate taste perception

Satb2 neurons in the parabrachial nucleus mediate taste perception

Taste coding strategies in insular cortex

Central taste anatomy and physiology

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