Taste receptor proteins directly extracted by liposome from intact epithelium of bullfrog tongue.

This work first provides that epithelial membrane proteins can be directly transferred from animal intact tissue to liposome. Bullfrog tongue was treated with a specially modified liposome that contains an artificial boundary lipid. Glossopharyngeal nerve responses of the treated tongue were then measured to five taste stimuli (NH4Cl, L-Ala, sucrose, L-Leu, and quinine hydrochloride). The liposomal treatment caused remarkable changes of the taste nerve responses. Gel electrophoretic analysis of the treated liposome revealed that the direct transfer of proteins, likely taste receptor, certainly occurred from the tongue epithelium to the liposome.