Chanyi Lu

Keywords R-spondin Rspo2 Rnf43 Znrf3 innervation taste tissue homeostasis Introduction Humans and other species rely on the sense of taste to evaluate food prior to ingestion. For instance, sweet and umami tastes indicate calorie-rich, nutritious food items and trigger ingestion, whereas bitter taste in food indicates potentially harmful and toxic substances and triggers avoidance (Bachmanov and Beauchamp, 2007; Chaudhari and Roper, 2010; Liman et al., 2014; Yarmolinsky et al., 2009).

Highlights • Rnf43/Znrf3 deficiency in taste stem cells leads to taste cell hyperplasia • Lingual epithelial tissue degenerated in Rnf43/Znrf3-deficient mice • Innervation is dispensable for taste cell renewal in Rnf43/Znrf3-deficient mice • Wnt signaling blockade prevents phenotypic changes in Rnf43/Znrf3-deficient mice Summary Taste bud cells are renewed throughout life in a process requiring innervation.