Hojoon Lee Neurobiology of taste

Research Interests

The taste system evaluates the nutritional value (sweet, umami, salty) and safety (bitter, sour) of food. Since this assessment is critical for the survival of the animal, taste cues immediately cause stereotypical behaviors (attraction versus aversion) and evoke innate effect (pleasure versus disgust). Taste information is detected by taste receptor cells (TRCs) on the tongue, each one dedicated to a single taste quality, and relayed through neuronal projections that originate from geniculate/petrosal ganglia en route to the brain. Notably, TRCs are epithelial cells, with lifespans of only about two weeks, requiring precise wiring connections to be established with the correct partner neurons upon appearance of each new cell. Constant need for stem cell maintenance, TRC differentiation, wiring, and information processing presents a considerable challenge for a hardwired circuit, but surprisingly little is known about how this remarkable process is orchestrated. Our research focuses on three fundamental questions:

  • How are new taste receptor cells made?
  • How is the peripheral taste system wired?
  • How do tastes evoke hardwired behaviors?

Selected Publications

L-Type amino acid transporter 1 in hypothalamic neurons in mice maintains energy and bone homeostasis. Park G, Fukasawa K, Horie T, Masuo Y, Inaba Y, Tatsuno T, Yamada T, Tokumura K, Iwahashi S, Iezaki T, Kaneda K, Kato Y, Ishigaki Y, Mieda M, Tanaka T, Ogawa K, Ochi H, Sato S, Shi Y-B, Inoue H, Lee H, and Hinoi E. JCI Insight. 2023 April 10;8(7):e154925.

Regional specialization of the tongue revealed by gustatory ganglion imaging. Fowler BE, Ye J, Humayun S, Lee H, and Macpherson LJ. iScience. 2022 December 22;25(12):105700. 

Sensory biology: The bitter aftertaste. Lee H, Alpert MH, and Gallio M. Current Biology. 2021 December 20;31(24):R1570-R1573.

Rewiring the taste system. Lee H, Macpherson LJ, Parada CA, Zuker CS, and Ryba NJP. Nature. 2017 August 17;548(7667):330-333. 

View all publications by Hojoon Lee in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed).