麻豆淫院

Researchers from Okayama University of Science have identified bitter taste receptors in keratinocytes (skin cells). Previously thought to exist only on the tongue, these receptors detect and expel harmful substances from the skin, serving as a crucial protective mechanism.

The study reveals that upon binding to harmful substances, these receptors activate efflux pumps to remove them from cells, highlighting a novel biological defense system in the skin. This finding paves the way for potential applications in developing skin protectants and anti-inflammatory treatments.

The research, conducted in collaboration with Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo, was in FASEB BioAdvances.

The skin's role as sensory and protective barrier

Bitterness serves as a biological warning system, alerting organisms to potentially harmful substances. On the tongue, bitter taste receptors in taste cells detect harmful substances in food, triggering an aversion response that prevents ingestion. However, harmful substances can enter the body not only through the mouth but also through the skin.

Unlike the tongue, the skin does not perceive bitterness as a taste. However, keratinocytes鈥攖he skin's first line of defense鈥攅xpress bitter taste receptors that function as biological gatekeepers, detecting harmful substances that penetrate the body and activating mechanisms to expel them, thereby contributing to skin protection.

The research team identified that bitter taste receptors are localized in the endoplasmic reticulum of keratinocytes. Upon detecting and binding to harmful substances, these receptors become activated and switch on efflux pumps, which expel the substance from the cell. This study is the first to demonstrate the protective biological role of bitter taste receptors in the skin.

Some harmful substances cannot be detected by bitter taste receptors. In such cases, harmful substances accumulate within cells, potentially leading to skin damage and inflammation. However, this research suggests that artificially activating bitter taste receptors could trigger the body's natural detoxification process, expelling accumulated harmful substances from cells.

This discovery opens new possibilities for developing safe receptor-activating agents, potentially leading to innovative skin protectants and anti-inflammatory treatments.