scholarly journals New Insights on the Evolution of the Sweet Taste Receptor of Primates Adapted to Harsh Environments

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2359
Author(s):  
Nur Aida Md Tamrin ◽  
Ramlah Zainudin ◽  
Yuzine Esa ◽  
Halimah Alias ◽  
Mohd Noor Mat Isa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Sweet Taste Receptor ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
Starting Point

Taste perception is an essential function that provides valuable dietary and sensory information, which is crucial for the survival of animals. Studies into the evolution of the sweet taste receptor gene (TAS1R2) are scarce, especially for Bornean endemic primates such as Nasalis larvatus (proboscis monkey), Pongo pygmaeus (Bornean orangutan), and Hylobates muelleri (Muller’s Bornean gibbon). Primates are the perfect taxa to study as they are diverse dietary feeders, comprising specialist folivores, frugivores, gummivores, herbivores, and omnivores. We constructed phylogenetic trees of the TAS1R2 gene for 20 species of anthropoid primates using four different methods (neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian) and also established the time divergence of the phylogeny. The phylogeny successfully separated the primates into their taxonomic groups as well as by their dietary preferences. Of note, the reviewed time of divergence estimation for the primate speciation pattern in this study was more recent than the previously published estimates. It is believed that this difference may be due to environmental changes, such as food scarcity and climate change, during the late Miocene epoch, which forced primates to change their dietary preferences. These findings provide a starting point for further investigation.

scholarly journals Loss of sweet taste despite the conservation of sweet receptor genes in insectivorous bats

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. e2021516118
Author(s):  
Hengwu Jiao ◽  
Huan-Wang Xie ◽  
Libiao Zhang ◽  
Nima Zhuoma ◽  
Peihua Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Divergence ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Taste Receptors ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Insectivorous Bats ◽  
Sweet Taste Receptor ◽  
Sweet Taste Receptors

The evolution of taste perception is usually associated with the ecology and dietary changes of organisms. However, the association between feeding ecology and taste receptor evolution is unclear in some lineages of vertebrate animals. One example is the sweet taste receptor gene Tas1r2. Previous analysis of partial sequences has revealed that Tas1r2 has undergone equally strong purifying selection between insectivorous and frugivorous bats. To test whether the sweet taste function is also important in bats with contrasting diets, we examined the complete coding sequences of both sweet taste receptor genes (Tas1r2 and Tas1r3) in 34 representative bat species. Although these two genes are highly conserved between frugivorous and insectivorous bats at the sequence level, our behavioral experiments revealed that an insectivorous bat (Myotis ricketti) showed no preference for natural sugars, whereas the frugivorous species (Rousettus leschenaultii) showed strong preferences for sucrose and fructose. Furthermore, while both sweet taste receptor genes are expressed in the taste tissue of insectivorous and frugivorous bats, our cell-based assays revealed striking functional divergence: the sweet taste receptors of frugivorous bats are able to respond to natural sugars whereas those of insectivorous bats are not, which is consistent with the behavioral preference tests, suggesting that functional evolution of sweet taste receptors is closely related to diet. This comprehensive study suggests that using sequence conservation alone could be misleading in inferring protein and physiological function and highlights the power of combining behavioral experiments, expression analysis, and functional assays in molecular evolutionary studies.

scholarly journals Sweet Taste Receptor Gene Variation and Aspartame Taste in Primates and Other Species

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 453-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Li ◽  
A. A. Bachmanov ◽  
K. Maehashi ◽  
W. Li ◽  
R. Lim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Gene Variation ◽  
Sweet Taste Receptor

Sweet taste receptor gene TAS1R3 polymorphisms related to food preferences, biochemical parameters and body composition

Nutrition ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. e4
Author(s):  
S. Perna ◽  
M. Nichetti ◽  
F. Moncaglieri ◽  
I. Avanzato ◽  
D. Spadaccini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Biochemical Parameters ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Sweet Taste Receptor

scholarly journals Evolution of the Sweet Taste Receptor Gene Tas1r2 in Bats

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 2642-2650 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Zhao ◽  
Y. Zhou ◽  
C. M. Pinto ◽  
P. Charles-Dominique ◽  
J. Galindo-Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Sweet Taste Receptor

scholarly journals Molecular evolution of umami/sweet taste receptor genes in reptiles

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5570
Author(s):  
Ping Feng ◽  
Shichu Liang
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Ecology ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Genome Database ◽  
Sweet Taste Receptor ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
Representative Species ◽  
Genome Information ◽  
The Relationship

Sensory systems play an important role in animal survival. Changes to these systems may be critical in evolution of species in new environments. Previous studies exploring the correlation between feeding ecology and Tas1r evolution mainly focused on mammals and birds, and found that the relationship was complex. However, in reptiles, the correlation between Tas1r evolution and dietary preferences is still unclear. Here, we attempted to explore this relationship in representative species of the major groups of reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards, crocodilians), for which the genome information is known. We first predicted the functionality (intact, partial, or defective) of Tas1r, and then related it to the feeding preferences. As a result, we identified 11 Tas1r1, 12 Tas1r2, and 12 Tas1r3 genes to be partial or intact and another 22 Tas1r genes to be absent or pseudogenized in the 19 reptiles. We found that, as it was revealed in some other vertebrate groups, no correlation existed between feeding ecology and Tas1r evolution in reptiles: genomic prediction indicated that the Tas1r genes possibly have been lost or pseudogenized in snakes, but in crocodylia and testudines Tas1r genes are either intact or partial, regardless of their feeding habits. Thus, we suggest that the driving force of Tas1r evolution in reptiles is complex, and the feeding habit of swallowing food whole without chewing or the absence of taste buds in certain species may account for the possible umami/sweet perception loss. In addition, we propose that caution should be taken when predicting gene functionality from the publicly available genome database.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Taste Receptor Genes, Taste Function and Dietary Intake in Preschool-Aged Children and Adults in the Guelph Family Health Study

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elie Chamoun ◽  
Nicholas Carroll ◽  
Lisa Duizer ◽  
Wenjuan Qi ◽  
Zeny Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Salt Taste

Taste is a fundamental determinant of food selection, and inter-individual variations in taste perception may be important risk factors for poor eating habits and obesity. Characterizing differences in taste perception and their influences on dietary intake may lead to an improved understanding of obesity risk and a potential to develop personalized nutrition recommendations. This study explored associations between 93 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in sweet, fat, bitter, salt, sour, and umami taste receptors and psychophysical measures of taste. Forty-four families from the Guelph Family Health Study participated, including 60 children and 65 adults. Saliva was collected for genetic analysis and parents completed a three-day food record for their children. Parents underwent a test for suprathreshold sensitivity (ST) and taste preference (PR) for sweet, fat, salt, umami, and sour as well as a phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste status test. Children underwent PR tests and a PTC taste status test. Analysis of SNPs and psychophysical measures of taste yielded 23 significant associations in parents and 11 in children. After adjusting for multiple hypothesis testing, the rs713598 in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene and rs236514 in the KCNJ2 sour taste-associated gene remained significantly associated with PTC ST and sour PR in parents, respectively. In children, rs173135 in KCNJ2 and rs4790522 in the TRPV1 salt taste-associated gene remained significantly associated with sour and salt taste PRs, respectively. A multiple trait analysis of PR and nutrient composition of diet in the children revealed that rs9701796 in the TAS1R2 sweet taste receptor gene was associated with both sweet PR and percent energy from added sugar in the diet. These findings provide evidence that for bitter, sour, salt, and sweet taste, certain genetic variants are associated with taste function and may be implicated in eating patterns. (Support was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs).

scholarly journals PSIV-20 TAS2R genes in sheep and cattle compared to humans

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 229-230
Author(s):  
Dillan Henslee ◽  
Melinda Ellison ◽  
Brenda Murdoch ◽  
J Bret Taylor ◽  
Joel Yelich
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Gene Cluster ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Taste Receptor ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
Genome Data

Abstract The taste receptor gene family has been extensively studied in human and some genes have been linked to food preferences and addiction; however, research in foraging ruminants is limited. Identification of taste receptor genes in the sheep genome may provide insight regarding individual dietary range plant preferences. Bitter taste has been a large focus of research since Arthur Fox accidentally discovered the bitter tasting compound phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and observed that bitter taste perception in humans is a variable trait. In theory, individuals who are sensitive to bitter taste will likely consume less bitter tasting foods, which are often antioxidant rich, and be more prone to disease and illness. The objective of this study was to examine known taste receptor genes in sheep and cattle and compare them with humans to determine similarities and differences. Type 2 taste receptors (T2R’s) are the only receptor of the taste gene family to perceive bitterness in foods. Using NCBI genome data viewer, the taste genes were identified on the human (GRCh38.p12), cattle (ARS-UCD1.2), and sheep (Oar_4.0; OORI1) genomes. All 3 species have one T2R gene cluster in common, which includes T2R genes 3, 4, 5, 38, 39, 40, 60, and 41. The span of this cluster is similar for humans (1,457,940 bp), sheep (1,541,593 bp), and cattle (1,594,610 bp). One gene in particular (T2R38) has been associated with PTC sensitivity and linked to aversion of some bitter tasting food in humans. Previous research on T2R38 identified 5 haplotypes, each expressing aversion to bitter taste differently. There is another T2R gene cluster which contains 10 annotated genes in sheep and cattle genomes; however, this region contains an additional 10 genes annotated in the human genome. Understanding genetic variation in TAS2R genes may translate to dietary preferences of sheep grazing on rangelands.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document