M. Scott Herness, Ph.D.

Professor
College of Dentistry, Oral Biology Section 

Degree: Florida State University
Postdoctoral Training: The Rockefeller University, Dr. Carl Pfaffmann

Contact Information
4163 Postle Hall
305 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH  43210
PHONE: (614) 292-2735
FAX: (614) 292-6945
E-MAIL: herness.1@osu.edu

Link to NLM PubMed publications list for M. Scott Herness (last 10 years)

Research Area:

Sensory Neuroscience: signal transduction mechanisms in mammalian taste receptor cells with emphasis on the roles of second messenger signaling cascades, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters.

Current Research:

Taste stimuli-often characterized as bitter, sweet, salty, and sour-utilize differing mechanisms to electrically excite the taste receptor cell.  This cell then fires an action potential causing a still unknown transmitter to be released onto an afferent nerve fiber.  The afferent fiber then relays this information to the central nervous system.  Our research focuses on the intracellular transduction mechanisms in the taste receptor cells that somehow couple receptor molecules to ion channels.

Using the patch clamp recording technique, we have characterized a number of voltage-dependent ion channels in dissociated taste receptor cells from the rat tongue and investigated how these currents are modulated by the cyclic AMP and the inositol trisphosphate second messenger systems.  We have also established that ion channels in taste cells are modulated by neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and serotonin), which affect the transduction mechanisms for taste stimuli.  Additionally, we have recently identified the neuropeptide cholecystokinin within some taste cells within the taste bud and demonstrated that its release affects the electrical excitability of taste cells.  We are pursuing many of these observations with modern molecular techniques.

Techniques:

• Neuroanatomical: immunocytochemistry
• Molecular: in situ hybridization, western blot analysis, RT-PC
• Electrophysiological: Patch-clamp recording on dissociated cells (whole cell and single channel)
• Other: calcium imaging (Fura-2)