TABLE 1.
Markers and main functions of tuft cells from different organs.
| Organ | Species | Markers | Main functions | Additional characteristics |
| Respiratory tract | Rodents | DCLK1, POU2F3, CK18, Villin, Fimbrin, AVIL, SOX9, ChAT, VAChT, GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5, TAS2R108, GNG13, ALOX5AP, IL-25, IL-17RB (Yamashita et al., 2017; Montoro et al., 2018; Plasschaert et al., 2018; Rane et al., 2019; Hollenhorst et al., 2020). | 1. Participate in type 2 immune response (Miller et al., 2020) and neurogenic inflammation (Kummer and Krasteva-Christ, 2014; Snelgrove and Lloyd, 2018). 2. Generate CysLT in response to local damage (Ualiyeva et al., 2020). 3. Sense taste signals and quorum sensing molecules (Krasteva et al., 2012a) and regulate mucociliary clearance (Krasteva et al., 2012a; Hollenhorst et al., 2020; Perniss et al., 2020). 4. Regulate respiratory reflexes (Krasteva et al., 2011). 5. Maintain epithelial homeostasis (Kummer and Krasteva-Christ, 2014) and regulate airway remodeling (Rane et al., 2019). 6. Progenitor of a subset of SCLC (Huang et al., 2018). | Solitary entities. |
| Human | POU2F3, SOX9, ChAT, TRPM5, GF11B, ASCL2, AVIL (Huang et al., 2018). | |||
| Auditory tube | Rodents | DCLK1, POU2F3 (Yamashita et al., 2017), ChAT, VAChT, CHT1, GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5 (Krasteva et al., 2012b). | Sense the composition of the luminal microenvironment and deliver signals to CNS via attached sensory nerve fibers (Krasteva et al., 2012b). | Solitary entities. |
| Taste buds | Rodents | DCLK1, Advillin (Schütz et al., 2019), ChAT, VAChT, CHT1, GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5 (Dando and Roper, 2012). | 1. Form an autocrine feedback of ACh and potentiate taste-evoked signals (Sukumaran et al., 2017). 2. Relase ATP (Dando and Roper, 2012). | Type II taste cells. |
| Thymus | Rodents | DCLK1, POU2F3 (Yamashita et al., 2017), TRPM5, GNAT3, PLCβ2, TAS2R, ChAT, LRMP, AVIL, GNG13, L1CAM, SOX9 (Bornstein et al., 2018). | Promote a microenvironment enriched in IL-4 and regulate the development and polarization of thymic invariant natural killer T cells (Bornstein et al., 2018; Miller et al., 2018). | Non-random distributed throughout the medulla (Miller et al., 2018). |
| Stomach | Rodents | DCLK1 (Saqui-Salces et al., 2011), POU2F3 (Yamashita et al., 2017), ChAT (lacking VAChT and CHT1), GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5, COX1, COX2, HPGDS, CK18 (Schütz et al., 2015). | 1. Sense taste signals and defense harmful substances (Schütz et al., 2015). 2. Expand in hyperplasia (Saqui-Salces et al., 2011) and participate in tumor initiation (Hayakawa et al., 2017). | Gathered in gastric groove (Schütz et al., 2015). |
| Human | Lack cholinergic tuft cells (Schütz et al., 2019). | |||
| Small intestine | Rodents | DCLK1, POU2F3 (Yamashita et al., 2017), CK18, Fimbrin, Advillin (but not villin) (Schütz et al., 2019; Esmaeilniakooshkghazi et al., 2020), ChAT (lacking VAChT and CHT1) (Schütz et al., 2015), COX1, COX2, HPGDS, LGR5 SOX9 (Gerbe et al., 2011), SUCNR1 (Nadjsombati et al., 2018), IL-25, TSLP, IL4RA, IL13RA1, IL17RB (Haber et al., 2017), Hopx, p-EGFR (McKinley et al., 2017). | 1. Participate in type 2 immune response to against helminth, protists and virus infection (Gerbe et al., 2016; von Moltke et al., 2016; Nadjsombati et al., 2018; Wilen et al., 2018). 2. Maintain the epithelial homeostasis (Middelhoff et al., 2020). | Solitary entities. |
| Human | CK18, Villin, Advillin, ChAT, COX1, COX2, p-EGFR, HPGDS, FLAP (McKinley et al., 2017; Schütz et al., 2019). | |||
| Large intestine | Rodents | DCLK1, POU2F3 (Yamashita et al., 2017), CK18, Villin, Fimbrin, ChAT, VAChT (except VAChT+ tuft cells in ascending colon), lacking CHT1 (Schütz et al., 2015), COX1, COX2, HPGDS, COX2, p-EGFR (Schütz et al., 2015; McKinley et al., 2017). | 1. Have the potential to initiate tumor (Westphalen et al., 2014) and be an underlying tracing target (Goto et al., 2019). 2. A probable marker for Hirschesprung’s Disease (O’Donnell et al., 2020). 3. Protect body from potential hazardous compounds (Yamashita et al., 2017). | Scatter throughout the epithelial sheet but enrich in the villar region in the ileum (Kaske et al., 2007). |
| Human | CK18, Advillin, ChAT, IL17RB, COX2, p-EGFR (McKinley et al., 2017; Goto et al., 2019; Schütz et al., 2019). | |||
| Pancreatic ducts | Rodents | DCLK1 (not specific to tuft cells) (DelGiorno et al., 2020), POU2F3, TRPM5, lacking SUCNR1 (Yamashita et al., 2017). | Secrete IL-25 to promote epithelial recovery and inhibit the initiation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (DelGiorno et al., 2020). | Solitary entities (Schütz et al., 2015). Absent under normal condition, but appeared under inflammation and tumor initiation (DelGiorno et al., 2020). |
| Human | CK18, Villin, Advillin, ChAT, COX1, HPGDS, FLAP (Schütz et al., 2019). | |||
| Biliary tract | Rodents | DCLK1, POU2F3 (Yamashita et al., 2017), ChAT (lacking VAChT and CHT1), GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5, COX1, COX2, HPGDS, CK18 (Schütz et al., 2015). | Sense taste signals (Schütz et al., 2015). | Solitary entities (Schütz et al., 2015) |
| Human | CK18, Villin, ChAT, COX1, HPGDS (Schütz et al., 2019). | |||
| Urethra | Rodents | POU2F3 (Yamashita et al., 2017), Villin (Deckmann et al., 2015), ChAT (lacking VAChT and CHT1) (Schütz et al., 2015), GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2014). | Respond to taste signals as sentinels of urinary tract and cause constriction of bladder detrusor muscles (Deckmann et al., 2014). | Solitary entities (Schütz et al., 2015). |
| Human | Villin (Deckmann et al., 2015), ChAT, GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2014). | |||
| Cynomolgus | Villin, ChAT, GNAT3 (expressed weakly), PLCβ2, TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Marmoset | Villin, ChAT, GNAT3, PLCβ2 (expressed weakly), TRPM5 (expressed weakly) (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Dog | Villin, ChAT, GNAT3 (expressed weakly), PLCβ2 (expressed weakly), TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Badger | Villin, ChAT, GNAT3 (expressed weakly), PLCβ2 (expressed weakly), TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Cat | Villin (in 1/3 samples), GNAT3, PLCβ2 (in 1/3 samples), TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Cattle | Villin (in 3/5 samples), ChAT (uncertain), GNAT3, PLCβ2 (in 1/5 samples), TRPM5 (in 3/5 samples) (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Red deer | Villin (in 1/2 samples), ChAT (in 1/2 samples), GNAT3, PLCβ2, TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Pigs | Villin (in 2/3 samples), ChAT, GNAT3 (in 2/3 samples), PLCβ2 (in 2/3 samples), TRPM5 (in 2/3 samples) (Deckmann et al., 2015). | |||
| Horse | Villin (in 1/2 samples), GNAT3, PLCβ2 (in 1/2 samples), TRPM5 (Deckmann et al., 2015). |
GNG13, Guanine nucleotide−binding protein subunit gamma−13; HPGDS, Hematopoietic prostaglandin-D; mTEC, medullary thymic epithelial cells; TSLP, Thymic stromal lymphopoietin.