SARS-CoV-2 Receptor <i>ACE2</i> Is Enriched in a Subpopulation of Mouse Tongue Epithelial Cells in Nongustatory Papillae but Not in Taste Buds or Embryonic Oral Epithelium
Zhonghou Wang, Jingqi Zhou, Brett Marshall, Romdhane Rekaya, Kaixiong Ye, Hong‐Xiang Liu
Abstract
was detected in a small proportion of type III taste cells. Our results indicate that when applied across species, nongustatory papilla epithelial cells are the prime targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the tongue; thus, taste loss in COVID-19 patients is likely not caused by a direct infection of SARS-CoV-2 to taste bud cells. Additionally, fetuses at different stages of development may have distinct susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Topics & Concepts
TongueTasteTaste receptorBiologyEpitheliumLingual papillaReceptorEmbryonic stem cellTaste budCell biologyEmbryoPathologyMedicineGeneticsGeneBiochemistryBiochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniquesinterferon and immune responsesOlfactory and Sensory Function Studies