Thomas Finger, PhD

Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology

FacultyPhoto
Graduate Schools
  • MS, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (1972)
  • PhD, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (1976)
Undergraduate School
  • BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA) (1971)
Department
Cell & Developmental Biology

Publications

  • High B, Finger TE. Structural comparisons of human and mouse fungiform taste buds. Chem Senses. 2025 Jan 8. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 39777479
  • Wilson CE, Lasher RS, Salcedo E, Yang R, Dzowo Y, Kinnamon JC, Finger TE. Death in the taste bud: engulfment of dying taste receptor cells by glial-like Type I cells. bioRxiv. 2024 Dec 2. PubMed PMID: 39314340
  • High B, Finger TE. Structural comparisons of human and mouse fungiform taste buds. bioRxiv. 2024 Jul 16. PubMed PMID: 39071269
  • High B, Jetté ME, Li M, Ramakrishnan VR, Clary M, Prager J, Draf J, Hummel T, Finger TE. Variability in P2X receptor composition in human taste nerves: implications for treatment of chronic cough. ERJ Open Res. 2023 Mar;9(2). PubMed PMID: 37057093
  • Ikenaga T, Morita S, Finger TE. Histological and Molecular Characterization of the Inferior Olivary Nucleus and Climbing Fibers in the Goldfish, Carassius auratus. Zoolog Sci. 2023 Apr;40(2):141-150. PubMed PMID: 37042693
  • Finger TE. Dinosaurs: Clever creatures or bird brains?. J Comp Neurol. 2023 Jun;531(9):954-955. PubMed PMID: 37029481
  • Wilson CE, Lasher RS, Yang R, Dzowo Y, Kinnamon JC, Finger TE. Taste Bud Connectome: Implications for Taste Information Processing. J Neurosci. 2022 Feb 2;42(5):804-816. PubMed PMID: 34876471
  • Kinnamon S, Finger T. The Role of ATP and Purinergic Receptors in Taste Signaling. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2022;275:91-107. PubMed PMID: 34435233
  • Wilson CE, Lasher RS, Yang R, Dzowo Y, Kinnamon JC, Finger TE. Taste Bud Connectome: Implications for Taste Information Processing. J Neurosci. 2021 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34876471
  • Finger T, Kinnamon S. Purinergic neurotransmission in the gustatory system. Auton Neurosci. 2021 Dec;236:102874. PubMed PMID: 34536906
  • Kinnamon S, Finger T. The Role of ATP and Purinergic Receptors in Taste Signaling. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2021 Aug 26. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34435233
  • Finger TE, Barlow LA. Cellular Diversity and Regeneration in Taste Buds. Curr Opin Physiol. 2021 Apr;20:146-153. PubMed PMID: 33615087
  • Andres-Hernando A, Kuwabara M, Orlicky DJ, Vandenbeuch A, Cicerchi C, Kinnamon SC, Finger TE, Johnson RJ, Lanaspa MA. Sugar causes obesity and metabolic syndrome in mice independently of sweet taste. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Aug 1;319(2):E276-E290. PubMed PMID: 32574112
  • Yu T, Wilson CE, Stratford JM, Finger TE. Genetic Deletion of TrpV1 and TrpA1 Does Not Alter Avoidance of or Patterns of Brainstem Activation to Citric Acid in Mice. Chem Senses. 2020 Oct 9;45(7):573-579. PubMed PMID: 32572463
  • Andres-Hernando A, Kuwabara M, Orlicky DJ, Vandenbeuch A, Cicerchi C, Kinnamon SC, Finger TE, Johnson RJ, Lanaspa MA. Sugar causes obesity and metabolic syndrome in mice independently of sweet taste. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Aug 1;319(2):E276-E290. PubMed PMID: 32574112
  • Yu T, Wilson CE, Stratford JM, Finger TE. Genetic Deletion of TrpV1 and TrpA1 Does Not Alter Avoidance of or Patterns of Brainstem Activation to Citric Acid in Mice. Chem Senses. 2020 Oct 9;45(7):573-579. PubMed PMID: 32572463
  • Yang R, Dzowo YK, Wilson CE, Russell RL, Kidd GJ, Salcedo E, Lasher RS, Kinnamon JC, Finger TE. Three-dimensional reconstructions of mouse circumvallate taste buds using serial blockface scanning electron microscopy: I. Cell types and the apical region of the taste bud. J Comp Neurol. 2020 Apr 1;528(5):756-771. PubMed PMID: 31587284
  • Jetté ME, Clary MS, Prager JD, Finger TE. Chemical receptors of the arytenoid: A comparison of human and mouse. Laryngoscope. 2020 Feb;130(2):423-430. PubMed PMID: 30908677
  • Genetic Deletion of TrpV1 and TrpA1 Does not Alter Avoidance of or Patterns of Brainstem Activation to Citric Acid in Mice Tian Yu, Courtney E. Wilson, Jennifer M. Stratford, Thomas E Finger bioRxiv 842112; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/842112
  • Romanov RA, Lasher RS, High B, Savidge LE, Lawson A, Rogachevskaja OA, Zhao H, Rogachevsky VV, Bystrova MF, Churbanov GD, Adameyko I, Harkany T, Yang R, Kidd GJ, Marambaud P, Kinnamon JC, Kolesnikov SS, Finger TE. Chemical synapses without synaptic vesicles: Purinergic neurotransmission through a CALHM1 channel-mitochondrial signaling complex. Sci Signal. 2018 May 8;11(529). PubMed PMID: 29739879
  • Stratford JM, Thompson JA, Finger TE. Immunocytochemical organization and sour taste activation in the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract of mice. J Comp Neurol. 2017 Feb 1;525(2):271-290. PubMed PMID: 27292295
  • Finger, Thomas; Bartel, Dianna; Shultz, Nicole; Goodson, Noah; Greer, Charles 5HTR3A-driven GFP labels Immature Olfactory Sensory Neurons J. Comp Neurol. in press
  • Wilson CE, Finger TE, Kinnamon SC. Type III Cells in Anterior Taste Fields Are More Immunohistochemically Diverse Than Those of Posterior Taste Fields in Mice. Chem Senses. 2017 Oct 31;42(9):759-767. PubMed PMID: 28968659
  • Castillo-Azofeifa D, Losacco JT, Salcedo E, Golden EJ, Finger TE, Barlow LA. Sonic hedgehog from both nerves and epithelium is a key trophic factor for taste bud maintenance. Development. 2017 Sep 1;144(17):3054-3065. PubMed PMID: 28743797
  • Stratford JM, Larson ED, Yang R, Salcedo E, Finger TE. 5-HT(3A) -driven green fluorescent protein delineates gustatory fibers innervating sour-responsive taste cells: A labeled line for sour taste?. J Comp Neurol. 2017 Jul 1;525(10):2358-2375. PubMed PMID: 28316078
  • Finger TE, Bartel DL, Shultz N, Goodson NB, Greer CA. 5HTR3A-driven GFP labels immature olfactory sensory neurons. J Comp Neurol. 2017 May 1;525(7):1743-1755. PubMed PMID: 28152579
  • Stratford JM, Thompson JA, Finger TE. Immunocytochemical organization and sour taste activation in the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract of mice. J Comp Neurol. 2017 Feb 1;525(2):271-290. PubMed PMID: 27292295
  • Tizzano M, Grigereit L, Shultz N, Clary MS, Finger TE. Immunohistochemical Analysis of Human Vallate Taste Buds. Chem Senses. 2015 Nov;40(9):655-60. PubMed PMID: 26400924
  • Vandenbeuch A, Larson ED, Anderson CB, Smith SA, Ford AP, Finger TE, Kinnamon SC. Postsynaptic P2X3-containing receptors in gustatory nerve fibres mediate responses to all taste qualities in mice. J Physiol. 2015 Mar 1;593(5):1113-25. PubMed PMID: 25524179
  • Vandenbeuch A, Larson E, Anderson CB, Smith SA, Ford AP, Finger TE, Kinnamon SC. Postsynaptic P2×3-containing receptors in gustatory nerve fibres mediate responses to all taste qualities in mice. J Physiol. 2014 Dec 18. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25524179
  • Frenz CT, Hansen A, Dupuis ND, Shultz N, Levinson SR, Finger TE, Dionne VE. NaV1.5 sodium channel window currents contribute to spontaneous firing in olfactory sensory neurons. J Neurophysiol. 2014 Sep 1;112(5):1091-104. PubMed PMID: 24872539
  • Saunders CJ, Christensen M, Finger TE, Tizzano M. Cholinergic neurotransmission links solitary chemosensory cells to nasal inflammation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Apr 22;111(16):6075-80. PubMed PMID: 24711432
  • Rolen SH, Salcedo E, Restrepo D, Finger TE. Differential localization of NT-3 and TrpM5 in glomeruli of the olfactory bulb of mice. J Comp Neurol. 2014 Jun 1;522(8):1929-40. PubMed PMID: 24288162
  • Masato Kirino, Jason Parnes, Anne Hansen, Sadao Kiyohara, and Thomas E. Finger Research article: Evolutionary origins of taste buds: phylogenetic analysis of purinergic neurotransmission in epithelial chemosensors Open Biol.. 2013 3:130015; doi:10.1098/rsob.130015 (published 6 March 2013)
  • Solitary chemosensory cells and bitter taste receptor signaling in human sinonasal mucosa. Barham HP, Cooper SE, Anderson CB, Tizzano M, Kingdom TT, Finger TE, Kinnamon SC, Ramakrishnan VR. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2013 Feb 12. doi: 10.1002/alr.21149.
  • Chemosensors in the nose: guardians of the airways.(Review) Tizzano M, Finger TE. Physiology (Bethesda). 2013 Jan;28(1):51-60. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00035.2012.
  • Residual chemoresponsiveness to acids in the superior laryngeal nerve in "taste-blind" (P2X2/P2X3 double-KO) mice. Ohkuri T, Horio N, Stratford JM, Finger TE, Ninomiya Y. Chem Senses. 2012 Jul;37(6):523-32. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjs004.
  • A2BR adenosine receptor modulates sweet taste in circumvallate taste buds. Kataoka S, Baquero A, Yang D, Shultz N, Vandenbeuch A, Ravid K, Kinnamon SC, Finger TE. PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e30032. Epub 2012 Jan 10.
  • Residual Chemoresponsiveness to Acids in the Superior Laryngeal Nerve in "Taste-Blind" (P2X2/P2X3 Double-KO) Mice. Ohkuri T, Horio N, Stratford JM, Finger TE, Ninomiya Y. Chem Senses. 2012 Feb 23. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Title: Matters of TASTE Author(s): Finger Thomas E.; Kinnamon Sue C. Source: SCIENTIST Volume: 25 Issue: 11-12 Pages: 34-+ Published: NOV-DEC 2011
  • Tizzano M and TE. Finger (2011) Nasal solitary chemosensory cells link irritation to inflammation. AChemS 2011 #24, pA7.
  • Saunders, CJ, SD Reynolds, TE Finger 2011 Solitary Chemosensory Cells Turnover in Tracheal Epithelium, in vivo and in vitro models AChemS 2011 #P184. Chem Senses A55.
  • 127. Tizzano M, Cristofoletti M, Sbarbati A, Finger TE. (2011) Expression of taste receptors in Solitary Chemosensory Cells of rodent airways. BMC Pulm Med. 2011 Jan 13;11:3. PMID: 21232137. PMCID PMC3031280 . PubMed / Full Text.
  • 198. Stratford, JM & TE Finger. 2011 The Role of Post-Ingestive Cues in Feeding Preferences by Mice that Lack Taste Capabilities. AChemS 2011 #P9. Chem Senses in press.
  • 199. Kinnamon SC, A Baquero, S Katoaka, N. Shultz, TE Finger 2011 The A2B adenosine receptor is required for sweet taste in posterior tongue. AChemS 2011 #P30. Chem Senses in press.
  • 200. Saunders, CJ, SD Reynolds, TE Finger 2011 Solitary Chemosensory Cells Turnover in Tracheal Epithelium, in vivo and in vitro models AChemS 2011 #P123. Chem Senses in press.
  • 201. Ohkuri T, N Horio, TE. Finger, Y Ninomiya 2011 Residual Chemoresponsiveness to acids in the superior laryngeal nerve in "tasteless" (P2X2/P2X3 double KO) mice. AChemS 2011 #35. Polak Award Winner. Chem Senses in press.
  • 128. Grybko, M. J., E. Hahm, W. Perrine, J. Parnes, W. Chick, G. Sharma, TE Finger, S. Vijayaraghavan A (2011) Transgenic Mouse Model Reveals Fast Nicotinic Transmission in Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons. Eur. J Neurosci. In press
  • Central representation of postingestive chemosensory cues in mice that lack the ability to taste. Stratford JM, Finger TE. J Neurosci. 2011 Jun 22;31(25):9101-10.
  • Knocking out P2X receptors reduces transmitter secretion in taste buds. Huang YA, Stone LM, Pereira E, Yang R, Kinnamon JC, Dvoryanchikov G, Chaudhari N, Finger TE, Kinnamon SC, Roper SD. J Neurosci. 2011 Sep 21;31(38):13654-61.
  • Taste isn't just for taste buds anymore. Finger TE, Kinnamon SC. F1000 Biol Rep. 2011;3:20. Epub 2011 Sep 1.
  • Second order input to the medial amygdala from olfactory sensory neurons expressing the transduction channel TRPM5. Thompson JA, Salcedo E, Restrepo D, Finger TE. J Comp Neurol. 2011 Nov 25. doi: 10.1002/cne.23015. [Epub ahead of print]
  • 196. Finger, TE (2010) Purinergic Signalling in Taste. Purines 2010 Meeting (Invited Lecture), Tarragona SPAIN
  • 197. Bartel DL and Finger TE. (2010). Injury to peripheral gustatory nerve initiates a central immune response in the brainstem. Journal of Neuroimmunology. Vol 228, Issues 1-2, p24 (abstract#393).
  • Eric D. Larson2,3,*, Aurelie Vandenbeuch2,3,*, Anja Voigt4, Wolfgang Meyerhof4, Sue C. Kinnamon2,3, and Thomas E. Finger1,3 The Role of 5-HT3 Receptors in Signaling from Taste Buds to Nerves The Journal of Neuroscience, 2 December 2015, 35(48): 15984-15995; doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1868-15.2015

Professional Memberships

  • AAAS, Regular
  • Assoc. Chemoreception Sciences, Regular
  • Society for Neruoscience, Regular
Public Speaking
Yes
Taste; Goldfish and catfish feeding


School of Medicine

CU Anschutz
Fitzsimons Building

13001 East 17th Place

Aurora, CO 80045

303.724.5375

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