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Abstract
Von Ebner's gland protein (VEGP) is a secretory protein, which is abundantly expressed
in the small von Ebner's salivary glands of the tongue. VEGP as component of the perireceptor
environment around taste papillae might function as transporter of hydrophobic molecules,
for example bitter substances. Here we report a new approach to investigate the physiological
role of VEGP by expression of the cloned rat VEGP gene in transgenic mice. Taste papillae
of mice, in contrast to rats, do not contain VEGP. The founder mouse 4345 and three
offspring carry the transgene as shown by PCR analysis and saliva of the transgenic
mice contains high amounts of VEGP. In two-bottle preference tests, transgenic and
nontransgenic siblings show significantly different capabilities to taste the bitter
compound denatonium benzoate at 10 microM. The reduced sensitivity of transgenic mice
to denatonium benzoate points to a clearance function of VEGP the specificity of which
for taste compounds and other molecules remains to be seen.