Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 2, 49-56, Copyright © 1982 by Society for Neuroscience
Stimulation of the gerbil's gustatory receptors by saccharin
W Jakinovich Jr
The gustatory responses from the chorda tympani nerve of the Mongolian
gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, were tested with saccharin and some closely
related compounds. Only two compounds, saccharin and 6- chlorosaccharin,
stimulated the gerbil's taste receptors to any degree and in the same order
in which they are sweet to man, saccharin greater than 5-chlorosaccharin.
Those compounds which are tasteless to man did not stimulate and include
N-methyl saccharin, phthalimide, and O- sulfobenzoic acid. These
nonstimulating derivatives did not inhibit the saccharin
electrophysiological response. The saccharin taste response pH optimum is
from 5 to 8. At pH 7 and 8, saccharin is fully ionized and is binding to
the receptor site by an anionic mechanism. Kinetic plots of the taste
response at pH 7 indicate that saccharin is forming 1:1 complexes with it.
In addition, mixtures of saccharin and sucrose stimulate in such a manner
as to suggest that they are interacting at different receptor sites.
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