Taste cells at the back of the tongue, studied by USC Dornsife researchers. The red-colored cells detect sour taste and the green-colored cells detect bitter, sweet or umami. The cell nuclei are colored blue. Credit: Yu-Hsiang Tu and Emily Liman
In a quest to understand how the body detects sour taste, the researchers found a proton channel involved in the body’s ability to maintain balance. Scientists at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences have discovered an entirely new class of ion channels. These channels let protons (H+ ions) into cells, are important in the inner ear for balance, and are present in the taste cells that respond to sour flavors.
Protons control whether a solution is acidic or basic. They set pH...
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