Identification of β and γ Subunits of Laminins Localized in the Basement Membrane of Rat Circumvallate Papillae

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  Taste bud cells have elongated shape and are anchored to the basement membrane. Here we analyzed the subunits of laminin, a major component of the basement membrane, in circumvallate papillae of rat tongue. Two β subunits, β1 and β2, were detected by RT-PCR, of which the β2 subunit was immunohistochemically identified as a major component of the basement membrane. The γ1 subunit was also immunohistochemically identified as a major component. Profiles of these two laminin subunits were nearly the same as that obtained by an anti-laminin antibody, indicating that laminins of the basement membrane in the papillae contain β2 and γ1 as major β and γ subunits, respectively. As potential receptors for these laminin ligands, integrin subunits were analyzed by RT-PCR. Three integrin β subunit species, β1, β4, and β5, were shown to be expressed in the epithelium of the circumvallate papillae by RT-PCR among the five species examined.