Decrease in rat taste receptor cell intracellular pH is the proximate stimulus in sour taste transduction

Taste receptor cells (TRCs) respond to acid stimulation, initiating perception of sour taste. Paradoxically, the pH of weak acidic stimuli correlates poorly with the perception of their sourness. A fundamental issue surrounding sour taste reception is the identity of the sour stimulus. We tested the hypothesis that acids induce sour taste perception by penetrating plasma membranes as H+ ions or as undissociated molecules and decreasing the intracellular pH (pH(i)) of TRCs. Our data suggest that taste nerve responses to weak acids (acetic acid and CO2) are independent of stimulus pH but strongly correlate with the intracellular acidification of polarized TRCs. Taste nerve responses to CO2 were voltage sensitive and were blocked with MK-417, a specific blocker of carbonic anhydrase. Strong acids (HCl) decrease pHi in a subset of TRCs that contain a pathway for H+ entry. Both the apical membrane and the paracellular shunt pathway restrict H+ entry such that a large decrease in apical pH is translated into a relatively small change in TRC pH(i) within the physiological range. We conclude that a decrease in TRC pH(i) is the proximate stimulus in rat sour taste transduction.