Fig 1.
Flowchart of study design to identify collection techniques that enable quantitative measures of taste gene expression.
Samples were collected from 8 volunteers using the six different methods, the RNA was extracted and analysed with the NanoDrop ND-1000 Spectrophotometer (for quantity and purity) and Bio-analyser (analysis of RNA integrity). Real-time quantitative PCR was completed on taste tissue markers and taste genes, allowing for the identification of methods enabling quantitative measures of taste gene expression.
Table 1.
Taste genes analysed by quantitative real-time PCR (Taqman assay).
Table 2.
Comparison of RNA quantity, purity and quality from the different collection techniques.
Fig 2.
Representative Lightcycler 480 amplification profiles of taste genes using the different collection techniques.
Pap—Papillae biopsy (red), Che—Cheek saliva (Green), Ton—Tongue saliva (orange), Ora—Oragene kit (blue), Iso—Isohelix brush (black), Cyto—Livibrush cytobrush (purple), NTC—no template control (grey).
Table 3.
Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of taste markers and receptors using the different collection techniquesa.
Table 4.
Comparison of collection techniques (advantages and disadvantages) for the analysis of quantitative taste gene expression.