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Flammer LJ, Ellis H, Rivers N, Caronia L, Ghidewon MY, Christensen CM, Jiang P, Breslin PAS, Tordoff MG. Topical application of a P2X2/P2X3 purine receptor inhibitor suppresses the bitter taste of medicines and other taste qualities. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38745397 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many medications taste intensely bitter. The innate aversion to bitterness affects medical compliance, especially in children. There is a clear need to develop bitter blockers to suppress the bitterness of vital medications. Bitter taste is mediated by TAS2R receptors. Because different pharmaceutical compounds activate distinct sets of TAS2Rs, targeting specific receptors may only suppress bitterness for certain, but not all, bitter-tasting compounds. Alternative strategies are needed to identify universal bitter blockers that will improve the acceptance of every medication. Taste cells in the mouth transmit signals to afferent gustatory nerve fibres through the release of ATP, which activates the gustatory nerve-expressed purine receptors P2X2/P2X3. We hypothesized that blocking gustatory nerve transmission with P2X2/P2X3 inhibitors (e.g. 5-(5-iodo-4-methoxy-2-propan-2-ylphenoxy)pyrimidine-2,4-diamine [AF-353]) would reduce bitterness for all medications and bitter compounds. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Human sensory taste testing and mouse behavioural analyses were performed to determine if oral application of AF-353 blocks perception of bitter taste and other taste qualities but not non-gustatory oral sensations (e.g. tingle). KEY RESULTS Rinsing the mouth with AF-353 in humans or oral swabbing it in mice suppressed the bitter taste and avoidance behaviours of all compounds tested. We further showed that AF-353 suppressed other taste qualities (i.e. salt, sweet, sour and savoury) but had no effects on other oral or nasal sensations (e.g, astringency and oral tingle). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS This is the first time a universal, reversible taste blocker in humans has been reported. Topical application of P2X2/P2X3 inhibitor to suppress bitterness may improve medical compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda J Flammer
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hillary Ellis
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Natasha Rivers
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lauren Caronia
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Misgana Y Ghidewon
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Peihua Jiang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paul A S Breslin
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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Łukasiewicz-Śmietańska D, Godlewski D, Nowakowska E, Szpak A, Chabros E, Juszczyk G, Charzewska J, Rybaczyk-Pathak D. Association of the bitter taste genes TAS2R38 and CA6 and breast cancer risk; a case-control study of Polish women in Poland and Polish immigrants in USA. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300061. [PMID: 38687739 PMCID: PMC11060581 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
It is known that the perception of bitterness is mediated by type 2 bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs). However, recent reports have suggested that the carbonic anhydrase 6 (CA6) gene may also influence bitterness sensing. Genetic variants in these genes could influence dietary intake of brassica vegetables, whose increased consumption has been observed in the literature, though inconsistently, to decrease breast cancer (BC) risk. We hypothesized that the estimated odds ratios (ORs) for the association between BC and taster diplotype (PAV/PAV) and/or genotype A/A, will be in the direction of increased BC risk, potentially due to reduced consumption of brassica vegetables. Using a case-control study of BC in Polish women in Poland (210 cases and 262 controls) and Polish immigrant women to USA (78 cases and 170 controls) we evaluated the association of the taster diplotypes in TAS2R38 gene and genotypes in the CA6 gene and BC risk in these two populations individually and jointly. No significant increase in risk was observed for the TAS2R38 PAV/PAV diplotype (tasters) in each population individually or in the joint population. For the CA6 gene, in the joint population, we observed an increased BC risk for the combined G/A and G/G genotypes (non-tasters) vs A/A (tasters), OR = 1.41 (95% CI 1.04-1.90, p = 0.026) which after adjustment for False Discovery Rate (FDR), was not significant at p≤0.05 level. However, for the joint population and for the combined genotype of the two genes AVI/AVI+G* (non-tasters) vs. PAV/*+A/A (tasters), we observed a significant increase in BC risk, OR = 1.77 (95%CI 1.47-2.74, p = 0.01), for the non-tasters, which remained significant after FDR adjustment. In conclusion for the joint population and the joint effect for the two bitter sensing genes, we observed an increase in BC risk for the bitterness non-tasters, association which is in the opposite direction to our original hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Łukasiewicz-Śmietańska
- Department of Nutrition and Nutritional Value of Food, National Institute of Public Health NIH- National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | - Grzegorz Juszczyk
- National Institute of Public Health NIH- National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jadwiga Charzewska
- Department of Nutrition and Nutritional Value of Food, National Institute of Public Health NIH- National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorothy Rybaczyk-Pathak
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
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Nguyen H, Lin C, Bell K, Huang A, Hannum M, Ramirez V, Christensen C, Rawson NE, Colquitt L, Domanico P, Sasimovich I, Herriman R, Joseph P, Braimah O, Reed DR. Worldwide study of the taste of bitter medicines and their modifiers. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.24.590957. [PMID: 38712219 PMCID: PMC11071635 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.24.590957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The bitter taste of medicines hinders patient compliance, but not everyone experiences these difficulties because people worldwide differ in their bitterness perception. To better understand how people from diverse ancestries perceive medicines and taste modifiers, 338 adults, European and recent US and Canada immigrants from Asia, South Asia, and Africa, rated the bitterness intensity of taste solutions on a 100-point generalized visual analog scale and provided a saliva sample for genotyping. The taste solutions were five medicines, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), moxifloxacin, praziquantel, amodiaquine, and propylthiouracil (PROP), and four other solutions, TAF mixed with sucralose (sweet, reduces bitterness) or 6-methylflavone (tasteless, reduces bitterness), sucralose alone, and sodium chloride alone. Bitterness ratings differed by ancestry for two of the five drugs (amodiaquine and PROP) and for TAF mixed with sucralose. Genetic analysis showed that people with variants in one bitter receptor variant gene (TAS2R38) reported PROP was more bitter than did those with a different variant (p= 7.6e-19) and that people with either an RIMS2 or a THSD4 genotype found sucralose more bitter than did others (p=2.6e-8, p=7.9e-11, resp.). Our findings may help guide the formulation of bad-tasting medicines to meet the needs of those most sensitive to them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Nguyen
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Cailu Lin
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | | | - Amy Huang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Paule Joseph
- National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism & National Institute of Nursing Research, Bethesda MD, USA
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Santin A, Spedicati B, Pecori A, Nardone GG, Concas MP, Piatti G, Menini A, Tirelli G, Boscolo-Rizzo P, Girotto G. The Bittersweet Symphony of COVID-19: Associations between TAS1Rs and TAS2R38 Genetic Variations and COVID-19 Symptoms. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:219. [PMID: 38398728 PMCID: PMC10890446 DOI: 10.3390/life14020219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system is crucial in fighting SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, deepening our understanding of the underlying immune response mechanisms is fundamental for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. The role of extra-oral bitter (TAS2Rs) and sweet (TAS1Rs) taste receptors in immune response regulation has yet to be fully understood. However, a few studies have investigated the association between taste receptor genes and COVID-19 symptom severity, with controversial results. Therefore, this study aims to deepen the relationship between COVID-19 symptom presence/severity and TAS1R and TAS2R38 (TAS2Rs member) genetic variations in a cohort of 196 COVID-19 patients. Statistical analyses detected significant associations between rs307355 of the TAS1R3 gene and the following COVID-19-related symptoms: chest pain and shortness of breath. Specifically, homozygous C/C patients are exposed to an increased risk of manifesting severe forms of chest pain (OR 8.11, 95% CI 2.26-51.99) and shortness of breath (OR 4.83, 95% CI 1.71-17.32) in comparison with T/C carriers. Finally, no significant associations between the TAS2R38 haplotype and the presence/severity of COVID-19 symptoms were detected. This study, taking advantage of a clinically and genetically characterised cohort of COVID-19 patients, revealed TAS1R3 gene involvement in determining COVID-19 symptom severity independently of TAS2R38 activity, thus providing novel insights into the role of TAS1Rs in regulating the immune response to viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Santin
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (A.S.); (B.S.); (G.G.N.); (G.T.); (P.B.-R.); (G.G.)
| | - Beatrice Spedicati
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (A.S.); (B.S.); (G.G.N.); (G.T.); (P.B.-R.); (G.G.)
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, I.R.C.C.S. “Burlo Garofolo”, 34137 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Pecori
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, I.R.C.C.S. “Burlo Garofolo”, 34137 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Giovanni Nardone
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (A.S.); (B.S.); (G.G.N.); (G.T.); (P.B.-R.); (G.G.)
| | - Maria Pina Concas
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, I.R.C.C.S. “Burlo Garofolo”, 34137 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Gioia Piatti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy;
- Unit of Bronchopneumology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Menini
- Neurobiology Group, SISSA, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, 34136 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Giancarlo Tirelli
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (A.S.); (B.S.); (G.G.N.); (G.T.); (P.B.-R.); (G.G.)
| | - Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (A.S.); (B.S.); (G.G.N.); (G.T.); (P.B.-R.); (G.G.)
| | - Giorgia Girotto
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (A.S.); (B.S.); (G.G.N.); (G.T.); (P.B.-R.); (G.G.)
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, I.R.C.C.S. “Burlo Garofolo”, 34137 Trieste, Italy;
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Jeruzal-Świątecka J, Borkowska EM, Borkowska M, Pietruszewska W. TAS2R38 Bitter Taste Receptor Polymorphisms in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps Preliminary Data in Polish Population. Biomedicines 2024; 12:168. [PMID: 38255273 PMCID: PMC10813606 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects 5-12% of the general population, and the most challenging patients are those with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP). Its complexity, unpredictability, and difficulties in selecting a treatment plan individually for each patient prompted scientists to look for possible genetic causes of this disease. It was proven that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TAS2R38 gene may affect the mobility and the activity of the ciliated epithelium of the upper respiratory tract what can contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to CRS. There are two common haplotypes: a "protective" type (PAV), and a "non-protective" type (AVI). CRS patients who are homozygous PAV/PAV are considered as less susceptible to the severe course of the disease, whereas patients with AVI/AVI haplotype are more vulnerable. The aim of this study was to examine TAS2R38 gene polymorphisms among CRSwNP patients and control group (N = 544) with the evaluation of the association between the distribution of studied polymorphic variants and the incidence as well as severity of CRSwNP in the study group. Whole blood samples from CRSwNP patients (N = 106) and the control group (N = 438) were analyzed for alleles of the TAS2R38 gene using real-time PCR single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assays for rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939. PAV (SG: 41%; CG: 49%) and AVI (SG: 59%; CG: 51%) haplotypes were the only ones detected in the study. The AVI haplotypes were 1.5 times more frequent in the study group than in the control group (p = 0.0204; OR = 1.43). AVI/AVI individuals tended to have more severe symptoms in the VAS scale, less QoL in the SNOT-22 test, and a bigger nasal obstruction upon endoscopic examination. Patients with PAV/PAV were twice more likely to have minor changes in preoperative CT scans (p = 0.0158; OR = 2.1; Fi = 0.24). Our study confirmed that the PAV/PAV diplotype might have some protective properties and carrying the AVI haplotype might predispose to the development of CRSwNP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Jeruzal-Świątecka
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, al. Tadeusza Kościuszki 4, 90-419 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Edyta Marta Borkowska
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (E.M.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Martyna Borkowska
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (E.M.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Wioletta Pietruszewska
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, al. Tadeusza Kościuszki 4, 90-419 Lodz, Poland;
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Bloxham CJ, Hulme KD, Fierro F, Fercher C, Pegg CL, O'Brien SL, Foster SR, Short KR, Furness SGB, Reichelt ME, Niv MY, Thomas WG. Cardiac human bitter taste receptors contain naturally occurring variants that alter function. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 219:115932. [PMID: 37989413 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Bitter taste receptors (T2R) are a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors that enable humans to detect aversive and toxic substances. The ability to discern bitter compounds varies between individuals and is attributed mainly to naturally occurring T2R polymorphisms. T2Rs are also expressed in numerous non-gustatory tissues, including the heart, indicating potential contributions to cardiovascular physiology. In this study. T2Rs that have previously been identified in human cardiac tissues (T2Rs - 10, 14, 30, 31, 46 and 50) and their naturally occurring polymorphisms were functionally characterised. The ligand-dependent signaling responses of some T2R variants were completely abolished (T2R30 Leu252 and T2R46 Met228), whereas other receptor variants had moderate changes in their maximal response, but not potency, relative to wild type. Using a cAMP fluorescent biosensor, we reveal the productive coupling of T2R14, but not the T2R14 Phe201 variant, to endogenous Gαi. Modeling revealed that these variants resulted in altered interactions that generally affected ligand binding (T2R30 Leu252) or Gα protein interactions (T2R46 Met228 and T2R14 Phe201), rather than receptor structural stability. Interestingly, this study is the first to show a difference in signaling for T2R50 Tyr203 (rs1376251) which has been associated with cardiovascular disease. The observation of naturally occurring functional variation in the T2Rs with the greatest expression in the heart is important, as their discovery should prove useful in deciphering the role of T2Rs within the cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor J Bloxham
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia; Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Katina D Hulme
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia; Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fabrizio Fierro
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Christian Fercher
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
| | - Cassandra L Pegg
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
| | - Shannon L O'Brien
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R Foster
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Kirsty R Short
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
| | - Sebastian G B Furness
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia; Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Melissa E Reichelt
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
| | - Masha Y Niv
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Walter G Thomas
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, QLD, Australia.
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Sequeira JJ, Nizamuddin S, van Driem G, Mustak MS. TAS2R38 bitter taste perception in the Koṅkaṇī Sārasvata Brahmin population. Genes Genomics 2023; 45:1409-1422. [PMID: 37336804 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-023-01409-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The TAS2R38 gene carries markers for phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) sensitivity. Various studies have investigated the genotype-phenotype association pattern for bitter tasting ability and other factors in different populations. However, a paucity of such information for endogamous Indian populations is the reason behind this study. OBJECTIVE To study the association of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) sensitivity with TAS2R38 gene variations in Koṅkaṇī Sārasvata Brahmin population. METHODS We studied the association of the alleles rs714598, rs1726866, rs10246939 with PTC sensitivity and other factors in the Koṅkaṇī Sārasvata Brahmin population. DNA was extracted from 114 individuals belonging to the Koṅkaṇī Sārasvata Brahmin community. The TAS2R38 gene was sequenced to find the genotype distribution pattern. The association between genotype and phenotype was checked using the Chi-Square test and multifactorial logistical regression. RESULTS We observed a 58.8% frequency of the AVI haplotype, which is the most prevalent in European populations. A higher number of non-taster haplotypes and diplotypes were observed in Koṅkaṇī Sārasvata Brahmins, with the allele rs10246939 showing a significant association with PTC bitter taste sensitivity in both allelic (p = 8.6 × 10-4; Allele-G, OR = 3.57 [95% CI = 1.66-7.69]) and genotype-based (p = 6.9 × 10-4; genotype-AG, OR = 3.11 [95% CI = 0.73-13.20]; genotype-GG, OR = 40 [95% CI = 3.58-447.03]) tests. CONCLUSION Our results are in line with earlier studies, which report an association between PTC sensitivity and the TAS2R38 gene in different populations. In the global context, Koṅkaṇī Sārasvata Brahmins, who are mostly distributed along the southwestern coast of India, show a PTC sensitivity pattern slightly similar to that of West Eurasian populations. Our findings suggest ancestry specific selection in TAS2R38 gene variations for taste sensitivity at global level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaison Jeevan Sequeira
- Department of Applied Zoology, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Mangaluru, 574199, India
| | - Sheikh Nizamuddin
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Urology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79016, Freiburg, Germany
| | - George van Driem
- Institut für Sprachwissenschaft, Universität Bern, Länggassstrasse 49, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mohammed S Mustak
- Department of Applied Zoology, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Mangaluru, 574199, India.
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Menghi L, Cliceri D, Fava F, Pindo M, Gaudioso G, Giacalone D, Gasperi F. Salivary microbial profiles associate with responsiveness to warning oral sensations and dietary intakes. Food Res Int 2023; 171:113072. [PMID: 37330830 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Oral microbiota-host interactions are gaining recognition as potential factors contributing to interindividual variations in taste perception. However, whether such possible links imply specific bacterial co-occurrence networks remains unknown. To address this issue, we used 16 s rRNA gene sequencing to profile the salivary microbiota of 100 healthy individuals (52 % women; 18-30 y/o), who provided hedonic and psychophysical responses to 5 liquid and 5 solid commercially-available foods, each chosen to elicit a target sensation (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent). The same cohort also completed several psychometric measures and a 4-day food diary. Unsupervised data-driven clustering of genus-level Aitchison distances supported the existence of two salivary microbial profiles (CL-1, CL-2). While CL-1 (n = 57; 49.1 % women) exhibited higher α-diversity metrics and was enriched in microbial genera assigned to the class Clostridia (e.g., Lachnospiraceae_[G-3]), CL-2 (n = 43; 55.8 % women) harbored greater amounts of taxa with potential cariogenic effects (e.g., genus Lactobacillus) and significantly lower abundances of inferred MetaCyc pathways related to the metabolic fate of acetate. Intriguingly, CL-2 showed enhanced responsiveness to warning oral sensations (bitter, sour, astringent) and a higher propensity to crave sweet foods or engage in prosocial behaviors. Further, the same cluster reported habitually consuming more simple carbohydrates and fewer beneficial nutrients (vegetable proteins, monounsaturated fatty acids). In summary, while the mediating role of participants' baseline diet on findings can not be definitively excluded, this work provides evidence suggesting that microbe-microbe and microbe-taste interactions may exert an influence on dietary habits and motivates further research to uncover a potential "core" taste-related salivary microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Menghi
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy; Department of Technology and Innovation, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark; Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy
| | - Danny Cliceri
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy
| | - Francesca Fava
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy
| | - Massimo Pindo
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy
| | - Giulia Gaudioso
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy
| | - Davide Giacalone
- Department of Technology and Innovation, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark.
| | - Flavia Gasperi
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy; Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy.
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Pieroni A, Morini G, Piochi M, Sulaiman N, Kalle R, Haq SM, Devecchi A, Franceschini C, Zocchi DM, Migliavada R, Prakofjewa J, Sartori M, Krigas N, Ahmad M, Torri L, Sõukand R. Bitter Is Better: Wild Greens Used in the Blue Zone of Ikaria, Greece. Nutrients 2023; 15:3242. [PMID: 37513661 PMCID: PMC10385191 DOI: 10.3390/nu15143242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The current study reports an ethnobotanical field investigation of traditionally gathered and consumed wild greens (Chorta) in one of the five so-called Blue Zones in the world: Ikaria Isle, Greece. Through 31 semi-structured interviews, a total of 56 wild green plants were documented along with their culinary uses, linguistic labels, and locally perceived tastes. Most of the gathered greens were described as bitter and associated with members of Asteraceae and Brassicaceae botanical families (31%), while among the top-quoted wild greens, species belonging to these two plant families accounted for 50% of the wild vegetables, which were consumed mostly cooked. Cross-cultural comparison with foraging in other areas of the central-eastern Mediterranean and the Near East demonstrated a remarkable overlapping of Ikarian greens with Cretan and Sicilian, as well as in the prevalence of bitter-tasting botanical genera. Important differences with other wild greens-related food heritage were found, most notably with the Armenian and Kurdish ones, which do not commonly feature many bitter greens. The proven role of extra-oral bitter taste receptors in the modulation of gastric emptying, glucose absorption and crosstalk with microbiota opens new ways of looking at these differences, in particular with regard to possible health implications. The present study is also an important attempt to preserve and document the bio-cultural gastronomic heritage of Chorta as a quintessential part of the Mediterranean diet. The study recommends that nutritionists, food scientists, and historians, as well as policymakers and practitioners, pay the required attention to traditional rural dietary systems as models of sustainable health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
- Department of Medical Analysis, Tishk International University, Erbil 44001, Iraq
| | - Gabriella Morini
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Maria Piochi
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Naji Sulaiman
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
- Department of Ethnology, Charles University, 116 38 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Raivo Kalle
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
- Estonian Literary Museum, Vanemuise 42, 51003 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Shiekh Marifatul Haq
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Andrea Devecchi
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Cinzia Franceschini
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Dauro M Zocchi
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Riccardo Migliavada
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Julia Prakofjewa
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venezia, Italy
| | - Matteo Sartori
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venezia, Italy
| | - Nikos Krigas
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Mushtaq Ahmad
- Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Luisa Torri
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venezia, Italy
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10
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Aoki K, Mori K, Iijima S, Sakon M, Matsuura N, Kobayashi T, Takanashi M, Yoshimura T, Mori N, Katayama T. Association between Genetic Variation in the TAS2R38 Bitter Taste Receptor and Propylthiouracil Bitter Taste Thresholds among Adults Living in Japan Using the Modified 2AFC Procedure with the Quest Method. Nutrients 2023; 15:2415. [PMID: 37242298 PMCID: PMC10222862 DOI: 10.3390/nu15102415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual taste sensitivity influences food preferences, nutritional control, and health, and differs greatly between individuals. The purpose of this study was to establish a method of measuring and quantifying an individual's taste sensitivity and to evaluate the relationship between taste variation and genetic polymorphisms in humans using agonist specificities of the bitter taste receptor gene, TAS2R38, with the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). We precisely detected the threshold of PROP bitter perception by conducting the modified two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) procedure with the Bayesian staircase procedure of the QUEST method and examined genetic variation in TAS2R38 in a Japanese population. There were significant differences in PROP threshold between the three TAS2R38 genotype pairs for 79 subjects: PAV/PAV vs AVI/AVI, p < 0.001; PAV/AVI vs AVI/AVI, p < 0.001; and PAV/PAV vs PAV/AVI, p < 0.01. Our results quantified individual bitter perception as QUEST threshold values: the PROP bitter perception of individuals with the PAV/PAV or PAV/AVI genotypes was tens to fifty times more sensitive than that of an individual with the AVI/AVI genotype. Our analyses provide a basic model for the accurate estimation of taste thresholds using the modified 2AFC with the QUEST approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Aoki
- Department of Advanced Medical Treatment & Nutritional Science, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan; (K.M.); (N.M.); (T.K.)
| | - Kanetaka Mori
- Department of Advanced Medical Treatment & Nutritional Science, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan; (K.M.); (N.M.); (T.K.)
- Division of Math, Sciences, and Information Technology in Education, Osaka Kyoiku University, Kashiwara 582-8582, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shohei Iijima
- Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Chuo-ku 541-8567, Osaka, Japan; (S.I.); (M.S.)
| | - Masato Sakon
- Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Chuo-ku 541-8567, Osaka, Japan; (S.I.); (M.S.)
| | - Nariaki Matsuura
- Department of Advanced Medical Treatment & Nutritional Science, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan; (K.M.); (N.M.); (T.K.)
- Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Chuo-ku 541-8567, Osaka, Japan; (S.I.); (M.S.)
| | | | | | - Takeshi Yoshimura
- Department of Child Development and Molecular Brain Science, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
| | - Norio Mori
- Department of Advanced Medical Treatment & Nutritional Science, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan; (K.M.); (N.M.); (T.K.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Fukude Nishi Hospital, Iwata 437-1216, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Taiichi Katayama
- Department of Advanced Medical Treatment & Nutritional Science, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan; (K.M.); (N.M.); (T.K.)
- Department of Child Development and Molecular Brain Science, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
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11
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Kouakou YI, Lee RJ. Interkingdom Detection of Bacterial Quorum-Sensing Molecules by Mammalian Taste Receptors. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1295. [PMID: 37317269 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Bitter and sweet taste G protein-coupled receptors (known as T2Rs and T1Rs, respectively) were originally identified in type II taste cells on the tongue, where they signal perception of bitter and sweet tastes, respectively. Over the past ~15 years, taste receptors have been identified in cells all over the body, demonstrating a more general chemosensory role beyond taste. Bitter and sweet taste receptors regulate gut epithelial function, pancreatic β cell secretion, thyroid hormone secretion, adipocyte function, and many other processes. Emerging data from a variety of tissues suggest that taste receptors are also used by mammalian cells to "eavesdrop" on bacterial communications. These receptors are activated by several quorum-sensing molecules, including acyl-homoserine lactones and quinolones from Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, competence stimulating peptides from Streptococcus mutans, and D-amino acids from Staphylococcus aureus. Taste receptors are an arm of immune surveillance similar to Toll-like receptors and other pattern recognition receptors. Because they are activated by quorum-sensing molecules, taste receptors report information about microbial population density based on the chemical composition of the extracellular environment. This review summarizes current knowledge of bacterial activation of taste receptors and identifies important questions remaining in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yobouet Ines Kouakou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert J Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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12
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Costa MM, Da Silva AP, Santos C, Ferreira J, Mascarenhas MR, Bicho M, Barbosa AP. Influence of the TAS2R38 Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Metabolism and Anthropometry in Thyroid Dysfunction. Nutrients 2023; 15:2214. [PMID: 37432370 DOI: 10.3390/nu15092214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The gene TAS2R38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs-P49A, A262V and V296I) can condition bitter tasting by PAV (proline-alanine-valine) and non-bitter-tasting by AVI (alanine-valine-isoleucine) homozygosity. We evaluated this polymorphisms association with thyroid function, metabolism and anthropometry parameters determined by: Endpoint analysis (SNPs); DXA (fat mass-%, total fat mass-kg, lean mass-kg); Standard methods (lipid metabolism parameters, HbA1c-%, glycemia-mg/dL, insulinemia-µIU/mL, HOMA-IR, uricemia-mg/dL, calcemia-mg/dL and BMI-kg/m2); ELISA (leptinemia-ng/mL); Spectrophotometry (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme activity-UI/L). Statistics: SPSS program; OR [IC95%]; p < 0.05. Sample: 114 hypothyroid, 49 hyperthyroid, and 179 controls. An association between A262V-valine-valine and hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism was verified (OR = 2.841; IC95% [1.726-4.676]), p < 0.001/OR = 8.915; IC95% [4.286-18.543]), p < 0.001). Protector effect from thyroid dysfunction: A262V-alanine-valine (OR = 0.467; IC95% [0.289-0.757], p = 0.002/OR = 0.132; IC95% [0.056-0.309], p < 0.001) and PAV (OR = 0.456; IC95% [0.282-0.737], p = 0.001/OR = 0.101; IC95% [0.041-0.250], p < 0.001). Higher parameter values associated with genotypes were: fat-mass-% (V296I-valine-isoleucine), lean-mass (P49A-proline-proline; PVI), leptin (AVI), HbA1c (A262V-alanine-valine) and lower values in lean-Mass (AVI; PVV), leptin (A262V-alanine-alanine), HbA1c (PVV), uricemia (V296I-valine-isoleucine), glycemia (A262V-alanine-alanine; AAV) and plasma triglycerides (PVV). In conclusion, TAS2R38 influences thyroid function, body composition and metabolism. Bitter taste perception (PAV) and the genotype A262V-alanine-valine can protect from thyroid dysfunction. AVV, PVV and genotype A262V-valine-valine may confer higher predisposition for thyroid dysfunction, particularly PVV for hyperthyroidism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Mendes Costa
- Ecogenetics and Human Health Unity, Institute for Environmental Health (ISAMB), Genetics Laboratory, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Alda Pereira Da Silva
- Ecogenetics and Human Health Unity, Institute for Environmental Health (ISAMB), Genetics Laboratory, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic for General and Family Medicine, Lisbon University,1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carolina Santos
- Ecogenetics and Human Health Unity, Institute for Environmental Health (ISAMB), Genetics Laboratory, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Ferreira
- Ecogenetics and Human Health Unity, Institute for Environmental Health (ISAMB), Genetics Laboratory, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
- Institute for Scientific Research Bento Rocha Cabral, Calçada Bento da Rocha Cabral 14, 1250-012 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mário Rui Mascarenhas
- Ecogenetics and Human Health Unity, Institute for Environmental Health (ISAMB), Genetics Laboratory, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
- Clinic of Endocrinology (CEDML), Diabetes and Metabolism of Lisbon Lda, 1050-017 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Manuel Bicho
- Ecogenetics and Human Health Unity, Institute for Environmental Health (ISAMB), Genetics Laboratory, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
- Institute for Scientific Research Bento Rocha Cabral, Calçada Bento da Rocha Cabral 14, 1250-012 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Paula Barbosa
- Ecogenetics and Human Health Unity, Institute for Environmental Health (ISAMB), Genetics Laboratory, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
- Clinic of Endocrinology (CEDML), Diabetes and Metabolism of Lisbon Lda, 1050-017 Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Endocrinology, Lisbon University, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
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13
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Benish, Choi JH. Bitter Taste Receptor TAS2R38 Genetic Variation (rs10246939), Dietary Nutrient Intake, and Bio-Clinical Parameters in Koreans. Clin Nutr Res 2023; 12:40-53. [PMID: 36793779 PMCID: PMC9900072 DOI: 10.7762/cnr.2023.12.1.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Differential bitterness perception associated with genetic polymorphism in the bitter taste receptor gene taste 2 receptor member 38 (TAS2R38) may influence an individual's food preferences, nutrition consumption, and eventually chronic nutrition-related disorders including cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the effect of genetic variations on nutritional intake and clinical markers needs to be elaborated for health and disease prevention. In this study, we conducted sex-stratified analysis to examine the association between genetic variant TAS2R38 rs10246939 A > G with daily nutritional intake, blood pressure, and lipid parameters in Korean adults (males = 1,311 and females = 2,191). We used the data from the Multi Rural Communities Cohort, Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Findings suggested that the genetic variant TAS2R38 rs10246939 was associated with dietary intake of micronutrients including calcium (adjusted p = 0.007), phosphorous (adjusted p = 0.016), potassium (adjusted p = 0.022), vitamin C (adjusted p = 0.009), and vitamin E (adjusted p = 0.005) in females. However, this genetic variant did not influence blood glucose, lipid profile parameters, and other blood pressure markers. These may suggest that this genetic variation is associated with nutritional intake, but its clinical effect was not found. More studies are needed to explore whether TAS2R38 genotype may be a potential predictive marker for the risk of metabolic diseases via modulation of dietary intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benish
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Keimyung University, Daegu 42601, Korea
| | - Jeong-Hwa Choi
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Keimyung University, Daegu 42601, Korea
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14
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Yamaki M, Saito H, Mimori T, Suzuki Y, Nagasaki M, Suzuki K, Satoh-Kuriwada S, Shoji N, Isono K, Goto T, Shirakawa H, Komai M. Analysis of Genetic Polymorphism of Bitter Taste Receptor TAS2R38 and TAS2R46, and Its Relationship with Eating and Drinking Habits in Japanese ToMMo Subjects. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 2023; 69:347-356. [PMID: 37940575 DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.69.347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Human type 2 taste receptor (TAS2R) genes encode bitter-taste receptors that are activated by various bitter ligands. It has been said that TAS2R38 may detect bitter substances and then suppress their intake by controlling gustatory or digestive responses. The major haplotypes of TAS2R38 involve three non-synonymous, closely-linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), leading to three amino acid substitutions (A49P, V262A and I296V) and resulting in a PAV or AVI allele. The allele frequency of AVI/PAV was 0.42/0.58 in this study. The genotype frequency distributions of TAS2R38 were 18.32%, 46.95% and 33.95% for AVI/AVI, AVI/PAV and PAV/PAV, respectively, and were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Five haplotype combinations of minor alleles were identified: AVI/AAV, AVI/AVV, AAI/PAV, AVI/PVV, AVI/AAI, with corresponding frequencies of 0.49%, 0.10%, 0.10%, 0.05%, 0.05%, respectively, in 2,047 Japanese Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) subjects (2KJPN). The 16 subjects with these minor alleles were excluded from the questionnaire analysis, which found no significant differences among the major TAS2R38 genotypes (AVI/AVI, AVI/PAV and PAV/PAV) in the intake frequency of cruciferous vegetables or in the frequency of drinking alcohol. This result differs from previous data using American and European subjects. This is the first study to analyze the relationship between TAS2R38 genotype and the eating and drinking habits of Japanese subjects. It was also shown that there were no relationships at all between the genetic polymorphism of TAS2R46 and the phenotypes such as clinical BMI, eating and drinking habits among the 3 genotypes of TAS2R46 (∗/∗, ∗/W, W/W) at position W250∗ (∗stop codon).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Yamaki
- Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Food and Natural Product Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
- Department of Home Economics, Division of Health and Nutrition, Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka University
| | - Hiroki Saito
- Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Food and Natural Product Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
| | | | - Yoichi Suzuki
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University
| | - Masao Nagasaki
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
| | | | - Shizuko Satoh-Kuriwada
- Department of Disease Management Dentistry, Division of Comprehensive Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry
| | - Noriaki Shoji
- Department of Disease Management Dentistry, Division of Dental Informatics and Radiology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry
| | - Kunio Isono
- Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Food and Natural Product Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
| | - Tomoko Goto
- Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Food and Natural Product Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
- Faculty of Human Life Science, Miyagi Gakuin Women's University
| | - Hitoshi Shirakawa
- Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Food and Natural Product Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
| | - Michio Komai
- Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Food and Natural Product Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
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15
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Wang X, Wang L, Xia M, Teng F, Chen X, Huang R, Zhou J, Xiao J, Zhai L. Variations in the TAS2R38 gene among college students in Hubei. Hereditas 2022; 159:46. [PMID: 36529808 PMCID: PMC9762079 DOI: 10.1186/s41065-022-00260-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38 is a member of the human TAS2R gene family. Polymorphisms in TAS2R38 affect the ability to taste the bitterness of phenylthiourea (PTC) compounds, thus affecting an individual's food preference and health status. METHODS We investigated polymorphisms in the TAS2R38 gene and the sensitivity to PTC bitterness among healthy Chinese college students in Hubei province. The association of TAS2R38 polymorphisms and PTC sensitivity with body mass index (BMI), food preference, and health status was also analyzed. A total of 320 healthy college students were enrolled (male: 133, female: 187; aged 18-23 years). The threshold value method was used to measure the perception of PTC bitterness, and a questionnaire was used to analyze dietary preferences and health status. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to analyze polymorphisms at three common TAS2R38 loci (rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939). RESULTS In our study population, 65.00% of individuals had medium sensitivity to the bitterness of PTC; in contrast, 20.94% were highly sensitive to PTC bitterness, and 14.06% were not sensitive. For the TAS2R38 gene, the PAV/PAV and PAV/AAI diplotypes were the most common (42.19% and 40.63%, respectively), followed by the homozygous AVI/AVI (8.75%) and PAV/AVI (5.00%) diplotypes. CONCLUSION There was a significant correlation between the sensitivity to PTC bitterness and sex, but there was no correlation between the common diplotypes of TAS2R38 and gender. Polymorphisms in the TAS2R38 gene were associated with the preference for tea, but not with one's native place, BMI, health status, or other dietary preferences. There was no significant correlation between the perception of PTC bitterness and one's native place, BMI, dietary preference, or health status. We hope to find out the relationship between PTC sensitivity and TAS2R38 gene polymorphisms and dietary preference and health status of Chinese population through this study, providing relevant guidance and suggestions for dietary guidance and prevention of some chronic diseases in Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Wang
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
| | - Lin Wang
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XXiangyang Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, 441003 Xiangyang, China
| | - Mengwei Xia
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
| | - Feng Teng
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
| | - Xuejiao Chen
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
| | - Rufeng Huang
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
| | - Jiahao Zhou
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
| | - Juan Xiao
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
| | - Lihong Zhai
- grid.412979.00000 0004 1759 225XSchool of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053 China
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Giaccherini M, Rizzato C, Gentiluomo M, Lupetti A, Flores-Luna L, Vivas J, Bravo MM, Kasamatsu E, Muñoz N, Canzian F, Kato I, Campa D. TAS2R38 polymorphisms, Helicobacter pylori infection and susceptibility to gastric cancer and premalignant gastric lesions. Eur J Cancer Prev 2022; 31:401-407. [PMID: 34653070 PMCID: PMC8995393 DOI: 10.1097/cej.0000000000000722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is worldwide the fourth more common cancer type by incidence, and the third by mortality. We analyzed three missense variants of TAS2R38 gene: rs713598 (A49P), rs1726866 (V262A), and rs10246939 (I296V). These variants and their combination in haplotypes (proline, alanine and valine/tasters or alanine, valine and isoleucine/nontasters) and diplotypes are responsible for individual differences in bitter perception. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms and the related phenotypes are known to be associated with susceptibility to Gram-negative bacterial infections, such as Helicobacter pylori , and with risk of various cancer types. An association between intermediate tasters (as defined by TAS2R38 diplotypes) and increased risk of gastric cancer was reported in a Korean population. METHODS We analyzed 2616 individuals of Latin American origin, representing the whole spectrum of lesions from gastritis to gastric cancer. RESULTS Comparing cancer cases vs. noncancers we observed a decrease in risk associated with heterozygous carriers of rs10246939 ( P = 0.006) and rs1726866 ( P = 0.003) when compared with homozygotes of the more common allele. Also, the analysis of diplotypes/phenotypes reflected the same association, with super-tasters showing a borderline increased risk of developing gastric cancer compared to medium-tasters [odds ratio (OR) = 1.63; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-2.56; P = 0.033]. Also, nontasters showed an increased risk when compared to medium-tasters although not reaching statistical significance (OR = 1.58; 95% CI, 0.80-2.87; P = 0.203). We also tested the interactions between the TAS2R38 genotypes and H. pylori cagA status in a subset of samples and found no interaction. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our results suggest only a modest contribution of TAS2R38 gene genetic variability in gastric cancer etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Giaccherini
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Genomic Epidemiology Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cosmeri Rizzato
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Antonella Lupetti
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lourdes Flores-Luna
- Center for Public Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Jorge Vivas
- Cancer Control Center of the Tachira State, San Cristobal, Venezuela
| | - Maria Mercedes Bravo
- Grupo de Investigación en Biología del Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Elena Kasamatsu
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, National University of Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Nubia Muñoz
- Cancer Institute of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Federico Canzian
- Genomic Epidemiology Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ikuko Kato
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniele Campa
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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17
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Trius-Soler M, Bersano-Reyes PA, Góngora C, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Nieto G, Moreno JJ. Association of phenylthiocarbamide perception with anthropometric variables and intake and liking for bitter vegetables. GENES & NUTRITION 2022; 17:12. [PMID: 35896963 PMCID: PMC9331802 DOI: 10.1186/s12263-022-00715-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) sensitivity, a sensory trait mediated by the bitter taste receptor 38 (TAS2R38), has been described as a promising biomarker of health status or disease risk. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the influence of PTC phenotypes on (1) individual anthropometric and clinical history variables; (2) other basic taste recognition thresholds (RTs), and (3) the hedonic perception and habitual intake of Brassicaceae vegetables in a young adult population (18.9 ± 1.7 years old). The PTC phenotype was determined by the quantitative measure of the PTC recognition threshold (non-tasters, 24.1%; tasters, 52.3%; and super tasters, 23.6%). No significant differences in smoking habits, oral and nasal disorders, family antecedents of diseases related to metabolic syndrome, and Brassicaceae vegetable hedonic perception and consumption were found between the PTC phenotype groups. The average BMI of super-taster females and males was significantly lower compared to non-tasters. In addition, the PTC taster status was a predictor of lower scores for other basic taste RTs. Overall, the defined PTC super-taster cohort could be differentiated from the non-tasters by variables related to weight control such as BMI and sucrose RT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Trius-Soler
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, XIA, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- INSA-UB, Instituto de Investigación en Nutrición y Seguridad Alimentaria, Universidad de Barcelona, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paz A Bersano-Reyes
- Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Espinardo, 30071, Murcia, Spain
| | - Clara Góngora
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, XIA, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa M Lamuela-Raventós
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, XIA, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- INSA-UB, Instituto de Investigación en Nutrición y Seguridad Alimentaria, Universidad de Barcelona, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Nieto
- Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Espinardo, 30071, Murcia, Spain
| | - Juan J Moreno
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, XIA, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- INSA-UB, Instituto de Investigación en Nutrición y Seguridad Alimentaria, Universidad de Barcelona, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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18
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Kulichová I, Mouterde M, Mokhtar MG, Diallo I, Tříska P, Diallo YM, Hofmanová Z, Poloni ES, Černý V. Demographic history was a formative mechanism of the genetic structure for the taste receptor TAS2R16 in human populations inhabiting Africa's Sahel/Savannah Belt. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:540-555. [PMID: 34846066 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Mode of subsistence is an important factor influencing dietary habits and the genetic structure of various populations through differential intensity of gene flow and selection pressures. Previous studies suggest that in Africa Taste 2 Receptor Member 16 (TAS2R16), which encodes the 7-transmembrane receptor protein for bitterness, might also be under positive selection pressure. METHODS However, since sampling coverage of populations was limited, we created a new TAS2R16 population dataset from across the African Sahel/Savannah belt representing various local populations of differing subsistence modes, linguistic affiliations, and geographic provenience. We sequenced the TAS2R16 exon gene and analyzed 2250 haplotypes among 19 populations. RESULTS We found no evidence for selection as a driving force of genetic variation at this locus; instead, we discovered a highly significant correlation between TAS2R16 genetic and geographical distances based on provenience of the sampled populations, strongly suggesting that genetic drift most likely prevailed over positive selection at this specific locus. We also found significant correlations with other independent loci, mainly in sedentary farmers. DISCUSSION Our results do not support the notion that the genetic diversity of TAS2R16 in Sahelian populations was shaped by selective pressures. This could result from several alternative and not mutually exclusive mechanisms, of which the possibility that, due to the pleiotropic nature of TAS2R16, selective pressures on other traits could counterbalance those acting on bitter taste perception, or that the change of diet in the Neolithic generally relaxed selective pressure on this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Kulichová
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Médéric Mouterde
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mohammed G Mokhtar
- Arabic Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Kordofan, Al-Ubayyid, Sudan
| | - Issa Diallo
- Département de Linguistique et Langues Nationales, Institut des Sciences des Sociétés, CNRST, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Petr Tříska
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yoro Mame Diallo
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Hofmanová
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Archaeology and Museology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Estella S Poloni
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Viktor Černý
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
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19
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Wooding SP, Ramirez VA, Behrens M. Bitter taste receptors: Genes, evolution and health. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 9:431-447. [PMID: 35154779 PMCID: PMC8830313 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bitter taste perception plays vital roles in animal behavior and fitness. By signaling the presence of toxins in foods, particularly noxious defense compounds found in plants, it enables animals to avoid exposure. In vertebrates, bitter perception is initiated by TAS2Rs, a family of G protein-coupled receptors expressed on the surface of taste buds. There, oriented toward the interior of the mouth, they monitor the contents of foods, drinks and other substances as they are ingested. When bitter compounds are encountered, TAS2Rs respond by triggering neural pathways leading to sensation. The importance of this role placed TAS2Rs under selective pressures in the course of their evolution, leaving signatures in patterns of gene gain and loss, sequence polymorphism, and population structure consistent with vertebrates' diverse feeding ecologies. The protective value of bitter taste is reduced in modern humans because contemporary food supplies are safe and abundant. However, this is not always the case. Some crops, particularly in the developing world, retain surprisingly high toxicity and bitterness remains an important measure of safety. Bitter perception also shapes health through its influence on preference driven behaviors such as diet choice, alcohol intake and tobacco use. Further, allelic variation in TAS2Rs is extensive, leading to individual differences in taste sensitivity that drive these behaviors, shaping susceptibility to disease. Thus, bitter taste perception occupies a critical intersection between ancient evolutionary processes and modern human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P Wooding
- Department of Anthropology and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Vicente A Ramirez
- Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Maik Behrens
- Maik Behrens, Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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20
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Khimsuksri S, Paphangkorakit J, Pitiphat W, Coldwell SE. TAS2R38 polymorphisms and oral diseases in Thais: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health 2022; 22:21. [PMID: 35090440 PMCID: PMC8796631 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-022-02043-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Polymorphisms at positions 49, 262, and 296 in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene result in two common genetic haplotypes, PAV and AVI, named for the resulting amino acid substitutions. TAS2R38 genotype has been previously associated with caries risk in children. This study aimed to identify TAS2R38 polymorphisms among Thais and to explore any association between genotype and oral diseases.
Methods
Patients seeking care at Khon Kaen University Dental Hospital in Thailand were recruited to participate in the study. Saliva was collected for DNA extraction and genotyping. Patients completed a questionnaire to collect demographic variables and assess oral self-care behaviors. A calibrated dentist conducted an examination that included periodontal charting and recording of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT).
Results
A total of 250 patients (19–75 years) were enrolled in the study (116 males). Two haplotypes, PAV (67.2%) and AVI (32.8%) were found, resulting in 3 diplotypes; PAV/PAV (46.0%), PAV/AVI (42.4%) and AVI/AVI (11.6%). DMFT and periodontal status of 238 participants were recorded. The three diplotype groups were similar in age, sex, socio-economic indicators, oral self-care, and number of teeth. The odds of having periodontal disease, defined as at least one site with probing depth ≥ 5 mm, were lower in AVI/AVI and PAV/AVI compared with PAV/PAV. PAV/AVI tended to have less DMFT, while AVI/AVI tended to have more DMFT compared with PAV/PAV, however these trends did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions
The frequency distribution of TAS2R38 genotypes was similar to that reported for other Asian populations. AVI/AVI genotype was associated with decreased prevalence of periodontal disease among Thai dental patients, whereas there was no significant association between TAS2R38 genotype and prevalence of tooth decay in this patient population.
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21
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Wooding SP, Ramirez VA. Worldwide diversity, association potential, and natural selection in the superimposed taste genes, CD36 and GNAT3. Chem Senses 2022; 47:6491270. [PMID: 34972209 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
CD36 and GNAT3 mediate taste responses, with CD36 acting as a lipid detector and GNAT3 acting as the α subunit of gustducin, a G protein governing sweet, savory, and bitter transduction. Strikingly, the genes encoding CD36 and GNAT3 are genomically superimposed, with CD36 completely encompassing GNAT3. To characterize genetic variation across the CD36-GNAT3 region, its implications for phenotypic diversity, and its recent evolution, we analyzed from ~2,500 worldwide subjects sequenced by the 1000 Genomes Project (1000GP). CD36-GNAT3 harbored extensive diversity including 8,688 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 414 indels, and other complex variants. Sliding window analyses revealed that nucleotide diversity and population differentiation across CD36-GNAT3 were consistent with genome-wide trends in the 1000GP (π = 0.10%, P = 0.64; FST = 9.0%, P = 0.57). In addition, functional predictions using SIFT and PolyPhen-2 identified 60 variants likely to alter protein function, and they were in weak linkage disequilibrium (r2 < 0.17), suggesting their effects are largely independent. However, the frequencies of predicted functional variants were low (P¯ = 0.0013), indicating their contributions to phenotypic variance on population scales are limited. Tests using Tajima's D statistic revealed that pressures from natural selection have been relaxed across most of CD36-GNAT3 during its recent history (0.39 < P < 0.67). However, CD36 exons showed signs of local adaptation consistent with prior reports (P < 0.035). Thus, CD36 and GNAT3 harbor numerous variants predicted to affect taste sensitivity, but most are rare and phenotypic variance on a population level is likely mediated by a small number of sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P Wooding
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Vicente A Ramirez
- Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
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22
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Allingham J, Floriano WB. Genetic diversity in the IZUMO1-JUNO protein-receptor pair involved in human reproduction. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260692. [PMID: 34879103 PMCID: PMC8654184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertilization in mammals begins with the union of egg and sperm, an event that starts a cascade of cellular processes. The molecular-level understanding of these processes can guide the development of new strategies for controlling and/or promoting fertilization, and inform researchers and medical professional on the best choice of interventions. The proteins encoded by the IZUMO1 and JUNO genes form a ligand-receptor protein pair involved in the recognition of sperm and egg. Due to their role in the fertilization process, these proteins are potential targets for the development of novel anti-contraceptive, as well as infertility treatments. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of these gene sequences, with the objective of identifying evolutionary patterns that may support their relevance as targets for preventing or improving fertility among humans. JUNO and IZUMO1 gene sequences were identified within the genomes of over 2,000 humans sequenced in the 1000 Genomes Project. The human sequences were subjected to analyses of nucleotide diversity, deviation from neutrality of genetic variation, population-based differentiation (FST), haplotype inference, and whole chromosome scanning for signals of positive or of balancing selection. Derived alleles were determined by comparison to archaic hominin and other primate genomes. The potential effect of common non-synonymous variants on protein-protein interaction was also assessed. IZUMO1 displays higher variability among human individuals than JUNO. Genetic differentiation between continental population pairs was within whole-genome estimates for all but the JUNO gene in the African population group with respect to the other 4 population groups (American, East Asian, South Asian, and European). Tajima’s D values demonstrated deviation from neutrality for both genes in comparison to a group of genes identified in the literature as under balancing or positive selection. Tajima’s D for IZUMO1 aligns with values calculated for genes presumed to be under balancing selection, whereas JUNO’s value aligned with genes presumed to be under positive selection. These inferences on selection are both supported by SNP density, nucleotide diversity and haplotype analysis. A JUNO haplotype carrying 3 derived alleles out of 5, one of which is a missense mutation implicated in polyspermy, was found to be significant in a population of African ancestry. Polyspermy has a disadvantageous impact on fertility and its presence in approximately 30% of the population of African ancestry may be associated to a potentially beneficial role of this haplotype. This role has not been established and may be related to a non-reproductive role of JUNO. The high degree of conservation of the JUNO sequence combined with a dominant haplotype across multiple population groups supports JUNO as a potential target for the development of contraceptive treatments. In addition to providing a detailed account of human genetic diversity across these 2 important and related genes, this study also provides a framework for large population-based studies investigating protein-protein interactions at the genome level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Allingham
- Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wely B. Floriano
- Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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23
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Thomas DC, Chablani D, Parekh S, Pichammal RC, Shanmugasundaram K, Pitchumani PK. Dysgeusia: A review in the context of COVID-19. J Am Dent Assoc 2021; 153:251-264. [PMID: 34799014 PMCID: PMC8595926 DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Taste disorders in general, and dysgeusia in particular, are relatively common disorders that may be a sign of a more complex acute or chronic medical condition. During the COVID-19 pandemic, taste disorders have found their way into the realm of general as well as specialty dentistry, with significance in screening for patients who potentially may have the virus. Types of Studies Reviewed The authors searched electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar) for studies focused on dysgeusia, ageusia, and other taste disorders and their relationship to local and systemic causes. Results The authors found pertinent literature explaining the normal physiology of taste sensation, proposals for suggested new tastes, presence of gustatory receptors in remote tissues of the body, and etiology and pathophysiology of taste disorders, in addition to the valuable knowledge gained about gustatory disorders in the context of COVID-19. Along with olfactory disorders, taste disorders are one of the earliest suggestive symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Conclusions Gustatory disorders are the result of local or systemic etiology or both. Newer taste sensations, such as calcium and fat tastes, have been discovered, as well as taste receptors that are remote from the oropharyngeal area. Literature published during the COVID-19 pandemic to date reinforces the significance of early detection of potential patients with COVID-19 by means of screening for recent-onset taste disorders. Practical Implications Timely screening and identification of potential gustatory disorders are paramount for the dental care practitioner to aid in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 and other serious systemic disorders.
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24
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de Jesus VC, Singh M, Schroth RJ, Chelikani P, Hitchon CA. Association of Bitter Taste Receptor T2R38 Polymorphisms, Oral Microbiota, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2021; 43:1460-1472. [PMID: 34698096 PMCID: PMC8929115 DOI: 10.3390/cimb43030103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The association of taste genetics and the oral microbiome in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been reported. We explored a novel oral mucosal innate immune pathway involving the bitter taste G protein-coupled receptor T2R38. This case–control study aimed to evaluate whether T2R38 polymorphisms associate with the buccal microbial composition in RA. Genomic DNA was obtained from buccal swabs of 35 RA patients and 64 non-RA controls. TAS2R38 genotypes were determined by Sanger sequencing. The buccal microbiome was assessed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the V4-16S rRNA gene. Bacterial community differences were analyzed with alpha and beta diversity measures. Linear discriminant analysis effect size identified taxa discriminating between RA versus non-RA and across TAS2R38 genotypes. TAS2R38 genotype frequency was similar between RA and non-RA controls (PAV/PAV; PAV/AVI; AVI/AVI: RA 42.9%; 45.7%; 11.4% versus controls 32.8%; 48.4%; 18.8%, chi-square (2, N = 99) = 2.1, p = 0.35). The relative abundance of Porphyromonas, among others, differed between RA and non-RA controls. The relative abundance of several bacterial species also differed across TAS2R38 genotypes. These findings suggest an association between T2R38 polymorphisms and RA buccal microbial composition. However, further research is needed to understand the impact of T2R38 in oral health and RA development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivianne Cruz de Jesus
- Manitoba Chemosensory Biology Research Group, Department of Oral Biology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W4, Canada; (V.C.d.J.); (R.J.S.)
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada
| | - Manu Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada;
| | - Robert J. Schroth
- Manitoba Chemosensory Biology Research Group, Department of Oral Biology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W4, Canada; (V.C.d.J.); (R.J.S.)
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada
- Department of Preventive Dental Science, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W4, Canada
| | - Prashen Chelikani
- Manitoba Chemosensory Biology Research Group, Department of Oral Biology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W4, Canada; (V.C.d.J.); (R.J.S.)
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada
- Correspondence: (P.C.); (C.A.H.); Tel.: +1-204-789-3539 (P.C.); +1-204-787-1851 (C.A.H.); Fax: +1-204-789-3913 (P.C.); +1-204-787-2475 (C.A.H.)
| | - Carol A. Hitchon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1M4, Canada
- Correspondence: (P.C.); (C.A.H.); Tel.: +1-204-789-3539 (P.C.); +1-204-787-1851 (C.A.H.); Fax: +1-204-789-3913 (P.C.); +1-204-787-2475 (C.A.H.)
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25
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Wang Y, Sun Y, Joseph PV. Contrasting Patterns of Gene Duplication, Relocation, and Selection Among Human Taste Genes. Evol Bioinform Online 2021; 17:11769343211035141. [PMID: 34366662 PMCID: PMC8312168 DOI: 10.1177/11769343211035141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, taste genes are responsible for perceiving at least 5 different taste qualities. Human taste genes’ evolutionary mechanisms need to be explored. We compiled a list of 69 human taste-related genes and divided them into 7 functional groups. We carried out comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses for these taste genes based on 8 vertebrate species. We found that relative to other groups of human taste genes, human TAS2R genes have a higher proportion of tandem duplicates, suggesting that tandem duplications have contributed significantly to the expansion of the human TAS2R gene family. Human TAS2R genes tend to have fewer collinear genes in outgroup species and evolve faster, suggesting that human TAS2R genes have experienced more gene relocations. Moreover, human TAS2R genes tend to be under more relaxed purifying selection than other genes. Our study sheds new insights into diverse and contrasting evolutionary patterns among human taste genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yupeng Wang
- BDX Research & Consulting LLC, Herndon, VA, USA
| | - Ying Sun
- BDX Research & Consulting LLC, Herndon, VA, USA
| | - Paule Valery Joseph
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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26
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Morini G, Winnig M, Vennegeerts T, Borgonovo G, Bassoli A. Vanillin Activates Human Bitter Taste Receptors TAS2R14, TAS2R20, and TAS2R39. Front Nutr 2021; 8:683627. [PMID: 34307435 PMCID: PMC8298857 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.683627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Vanilla is widely used in food preparation worldwide for its sensory properties, mainly related to its fragrance, being vanillin the major compound present in the processed vanilla. Vanillin is also known to elicit bitterness as a secondary sensory sensation, but the molecular mechanism of its bitterness has never been reported. Assay buffers of vanillin were tested in vitro on all known 25 human bitter taste receptors TAS2Rs. Three receptors, TAS2R14, TAS2R20, and TAS2R39, were activated, showing that these receptors are mediating the bitterness of vanillin. The result could be useful to improve the overall sensory profile of this broadly used food ingredient, but even more could represent the starting point for further studies to investigate the potential of vanillin in sensory nutrition and other pharmaceutical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcel Winnig
- IMAX Discovery GmbH, Dortmund, Germany.,Axxam S.p.A. Bresso, Italy
| | - Timo Vennegeerts
- IMAX Discovery GmbH, Dortmund, Germany.,Axxam S.p.A. Bresso, Italy
| | - Gigliola Borgonovo
- DeFENS - Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Bassoli
- DeFENS - Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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27
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AshaRani PV, Amron S, Zainuldin NAB, Tohari S, Ng AYJ, Song G, Venkatesh B, Mathuru AS. Whole-Exome Sequencing to Identify Potential Genetic Risk in Substance Use Disorders: A Pilot Feasibility Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10132810. [PMID: 34202351 PMCID: PMC8269170 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10132810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetics intersects with environmental, cultural, and social factors in the development of addictive disorders. This study reports the feasibility of whole-exome sequencing of trios (subject and two family members) to discover potential genetic variants in the development of substance use disorders (SUD). Family trios were recruited from the National Addictions Management Service in Singapore during the 2016–2018 period. Recruited subjects had severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) or opioid use disorder (OUD), with nicotine dependence (ND) and a family history of addictive disorders. Demographic characteristics and severity of addiction were captured. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and analysis were performed on salivary samples collected from the trios. WES revealed variants in several genes in each individual and disruptive protein mutations in most. Variants were identified in genes previously associated with SUDs, such as Pleckstrin homology domain-containing family M member 3 (PLEKHM3), coiled-coil serine-rich protein 1 (CCSER1), LIM and calponin homology domains-containing protein 1 (LIMCH1), dynein axonemal heavy chain 8 (DNAH8), and the taste receptor type 2 member 38 (TAS2R38) involved in the perception of bitterness. The feasibility study suggests that subjects with a severe addiction profile, polysubstance use, and family history of addiction may often harbor gene variants that may predispose them to SUDs. This study could serve as a model for future precision medicine-based personalized interventional strategies for behavioral addictions and SUDs and for the discovery of potentially pathogenic genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. V. AshaRani
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore;
| | - Syidda Amron
- National Addictions Management Service, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore; (S.A.); (N.A.B.Z.); (G.S.)
| | - Noor Azizah Bte Zainuldin
- National Addictions Management Service, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore; (S.A.); (N.A.B.Z.); (G.S.)
| | - Sumanty Tohari
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (S.T.); (A.Y.J.N.)
| | - Alvin Y. J. Ng
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (S.T.); (A.Y.J.N.)
| | - Guo Song
- National Addictions Management Service, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore 539747, Singapore; (S.A.); (N.A.B.Z.); (G.S.)
| | - Byrappa Venkatesh
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (S.T.); (A.Y.J.N.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
- Correspondence: (B.V.); (A.S.M.)
| | - Ajay S. Mathuru
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (S.T.); (A.Y.J.N.)
- Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138610, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117593, Singapore
- Correspondence: (B.V.); (A.S.M.)
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28
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Graham CAM, Pilic L, Mcgrigor E, Brown M, Easton IJ, Kean JN, Sarel V, Wehliye Y, Davis N, Hares N, Barac D, King A, Mavrommatis Y. The Associations Between Bitter and Fat Taste Sensitivity, and Dietary Fat Intake: Are They Impacted by Genetic Predisposition? Chem Senses 2021; 46:6297428. [PMID: 34117880 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjab029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A relationship between bitter and fat taste sensitivity, CD36 rs1761667 and TAS2R38 has been demonstrated. However, research is scarce and does not take diet into account. This study aimed to explore associations between genetics, fat and bitter taste sensitivity and dietary fat intake in healthy UK adults. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 88 Caucasian participants (49 females and 39 males aged 35 ± 1 years; body mass index 24.9 ± 0.5 kg/m2). Bitter taste sensitivity was assessed using phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) impregnated strips and the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Fat taste sensitivity was assessed by the Ascending Forced Choice Triangle Procedure and dietary intake with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Genotyping for rs713598, rs1726866, rs10246939, and rs1761667 was performed. Participants with TAS2R38 PAV/PAV diplotype perceived PTC strips as more bitter than groups carrying AVI haplotypes (AVI/AVI, P = 1 × 10-6; AVI/AAV, P = 0.029). CD36 rs1761667 was associated with fat taste sensitivity (P = 0.008). A negative correlation between bitter taste sensitivity and saturated fat intake was observed (rs = -0.256, P = 0.016). When combining the CD36 genotypes and TAS2R38 diplotypes into one variable, participants carrying both TAS2R38 AVI haplotype and CD36 A allele had a higher intake of saturated fat compared to carriers of CD36 GG genotype or TAS2R38 PAV/PAV and PAV/AAV diplotypes (13.8 ± 0.3 vs. 12.6 ± 0.5%TEI, P = 0.047) warranting further exploration in a larger cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Anna-Marie Graham
- Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health, Oxford Brookes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Sport, Health and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Leta Pilic
- Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences, Department of Health Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Waldegrave Road, London TW1 4SX, UK
| | - Ella Mcgrigor
- Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health, Oxford Brookes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Sport, Health and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Megan Brown
- Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences, Department of Health Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Waldegrave Road, London TW1 4SX, UK
| | - Isabelle Jane Easton
- Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health, Oxford Brookes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Sport, Health and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Jonathan Nyuma Kean
- Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences, Department of Health Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Waldegrave Road, London TW1 4SX, UK
| | - Verity Sarel
- Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health, Oxford Brookes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Sport, Health and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Yasmin Wehliye
- Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences, Department of Health Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Waldegrave Road, London TW1 4SX, UK
| | - Natalie Davis
- Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health, Oxford Brookes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Sport, Health and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Nisrin Hares
- Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences, Department of Health Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Waldegrave Road, London TW1 4SX, UK
| | - Deanna Barac
- Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health, Oxford Brookes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Sport, Health and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Alexandra King
- Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences, Department of Health Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Waldegrave Road, London TW1 4SX, UK
| | - Yiannis Mavrommatis
- Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences, Department of Health Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Waldegrave Road, London TW1 4SX, UK
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Risso D, Drayna D, Tofanelli S, Morini G. Open questions in sweet, umami and bitter taste genetics. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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López-Jornet P, Collado Y, Zambudio A, Pons-Fuster E, Castillo Felipe C, Tvarijonaviciute A. Chemosensory Function in Burning Mouth Syndrome a Comparative Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients 2021; 13:722. [PMID: 33668711 PMCID: PMC7996353 DOI: 10.3390/nu13030722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste and smell are considered to be functions that contribute to the maintenance of good nutritional status. The present study evaluates taste and smell function in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) versus a control group. A cross-sectional study was made of 36 consecutive patients with BMS and 56 healthy patients. Smell was assessed using the Sniffin' Sticks test, while taste was evaluated with Taste Strips. Oral quality of life was assessed with the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and the severity of dry mouth with the Thompson Xerostomia Inventory. The patients with BMS had a mean age of 60.4 0 ± 10.5 years, while the controls had a mean age of 61.3 ± 19 years. No significant differences in smell were recorded between the two groups. In contrast, significant differences in taste function were observed between the patients with BMS and the controls. In the patients with BMS, 44.4% suffered taste alterations compared with the 3.4% healthy controls. Further studies in such patients are needed to allow improved management of the chemosensory problems, mouth dryness, and oral health-related quality of life in BMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia López-Jornet
- Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Biomedical Research Institute (IMIB-Arrixaca) Hospital Morales Meseguer, Clínica Odontológica, Marqués del los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain
| | - Yolanda Collado
- Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Hospital Morales Meseguer, Clínica Odontológica, Marqués de los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain; (Y.C.); (A.Z.); (C.C.F.)
| | - Alfonso Zambudio
- Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Hospital Morales Meseguer, Clínica Odontológica, Marqués de los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain; (Y.C.); (A.Z.); (C.C.F.)
| | - Eduardo Pons-Fuster
- Departamento de Anatomía Humana y Psicobiología, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Biomedical Research Institute (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia Spain, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Candela Castillo Felipe
- Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Hospital Morales Meseguer, Clínica Odontológica, Marqués de los Vélez s/n, 30008 Murcia, Spain; (Y.C.); (A.Z.); (C.C.F.)
| | - Asta Tvarijonaviciute
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis INTERLAB, International Campus Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia Murcia, 30100 Espinardo, Spain;
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31
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Giuliani C, Franceschi C, Luiselli D, Garagnani P, Ulijaszek S. Ecological Sensing Through Taste and Chemosensation Mediates Inflammation: A Biological Anthropological Approach. Adv Nutr 2020; 11:1671-1685. [PMID: 32647890 PMCID: PMC7666896 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmaa078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological sensing and inflammation have evolved to ensure optima between organism survival and reproductive success in different and changing environments. At the molecular level, ecological sensing consists of many types of receptors located in different tissues that orchestrate integrated responses (immune, neuroendocrine systems) to external and internal stimuli. This review describes emerging data on taste and chemosensory receptors, proposing them as broad ecological sensors and providing evidence that taste perception is shaped not only according to sense epitopes from nutrients but also in response to highly diverse external and internal stimuli. We apply a biological anthropological approach to examine how ecological sensing has been shaped by these stimuli through human evolution for complex interkingdom communication between a host and pathological and symbiotic bacteria, focusing on population-specific genetic diversity. We then focus on how these sensory receptors play a major role in inflammatory processes that form the basis of many modern common metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and aging. The impacts of human niche construction and cultural evolution in shaping environments are described with emphasis on consequent biological responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Giuliani
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Laboratory of Systems Medicine of Healthy Aging and Department of Applied Mathematics, Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Donata Luiselli
- Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Cultural Heritage (DBC), Laboratory of Ancient DNA (aDNALab), Campus of Ravenna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stanley Ulijaszek
- School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Risso D, Drayna D, Morini G. Alteration, Reduction and Taste Loss: Main Causes and Potential Implications on Dietary Habits. Nutrients 2020; 12:E3284. [PMID: 33120898 PMCID: PMC7693910 DOI: 10.3390/nu12113284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Our sense of taste arises from the sensory information generated after compounds in the oral cavity and oropharynx activate taste receptor cells situated on taste buds. This produces the perception of sweet, bitter, salty, sour, or umami stimuli, depending on the chemical nature of the tastant. Taste impairments (dysgeusia) are alterations of this normal gustatory functioning that may result in complete taste losses (ageusia), partial reductions (hypogeusia), or over-acuteness of the sense of taste (hypergeusia). Taste impairments are not life-threatening conditions, but they can cause sufficient discomfort and lead to appetite loss and changes in eating habits, with possible effects on health. Determinants of such alterations are multiple and consist of both genetic and environmental factors, including aging, exposure to chemicals, drugs, trauma, high alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, poor oral health, malnutrition, and viral upper respiratory infections including influenza. Disturbances or loss of smell, taste, and chemesthesis have also emerged as predominant neurological symptoms of infection by the recent Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus strain 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as by previous both endemic and pandemic coronaviruses such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV. This review is focused on the main causes of alteration, reduction, and loss of taste and their potential repercussion on dietary habits and health, with a special focus on the recently developed hypotheses regarding the mechanisms through which SARS-CoV-2 might alter taste perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Risso
- Ferrero Group, Soremartec Italia Srl, 12051 Alba, CN, Italy
| | - Dennis Drayna
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Gabriella Morini
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, Bra, 12042 Pollenzo, CN, Italy;
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Piatti G, Ambrosetti U, Robino A, Girotto G, Gasparini P. Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: The Impact of Taste Receptor (TAS2R38) Gene Polymorphisms on Disease Outcome and Severity. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2020; 181:727-731. [PMID: 32659773 DOI: 10.1159/000508938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease leading to recurrent respiratory infections of upper and lower airways. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and bronchiectasis are very common in PCD patients. Recently, it has been shown the presence of taste receptors in respiratory tract and the possible involvement of bitter taste receptor TAS2R38 gene in susceptibility to respiratory infections and rhinosinusitis. OBJECTIVE Aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of TAS2R38 polymorphisms in PCD patients and their possible correlations with clinical outcomes of the disease. METHODS Genetic and phenotypic data of 35 PCD patients were collected. Clinical evaluation included neonatal respiratory distress (NRD) at birth, presence of situs inversus, CRS, and bronchiectasis. We also measured the number of respiratory infections per year and the relevant pathogens, Lund-Mackay score, FEV1, and modified Bhalla score. With regard to genetics data, 3 polymorphisms (rs1726866, rs713598, and rs10246939) within TAS2R38 gene were analyzed and the patients were classified as PAV/PAV, PAV/AVI, and AVI/AVI. RESULTS A significant difference in the distribution of TAS2R38 haplotype between patients with and without NRD emerged (p value = 0.01). A lower percentage of PAV/PAV individuals showed frequent respiratory exacerbations (≥2/year) (p value = 0.04) compared to those with AVI/AVI and AVI/PAV haplotypes. Moreover, no patients homozygous for PAV/PAV haplotype presented chronic colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, thus supporting the possible role of TAS2R38 gene in susceptibility to respiratory infections. CONCLUSIONS Here, we report, for the first time, a possible association of TAS2R38 polymorphisms with PCD phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gioia Piatti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan and Unit of Bronchopneumology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy,
| | - Umberto Ambrosetti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan and Division of Audiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonietta Robino
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy
| | - Giorgia Girotto
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy
| | - Paolo Gasparini
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy
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34
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Yang Q, Williamson AM, Hasted A, Hort J. Exploring the relationships between taste phenotypes, genotypes, ethnicity, gender and taste perception using Chi-square and regression tree analysis. Food Qual Prefer 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.103928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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35
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Smail HO. The roles of genes in the bitter taste. AIMS GENETICS 2020; 6:88-97. [PMID: 31922012 PMCID: PMC6949464 DOI: 10.3934/genet.2019.4.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The aims of this review were to understand the roles of bitter taste genes in humans. Some of the peoples have the capacity to taste some chemical substance such as phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) while others cant not based on the dietary hazards and food preferences. There are two alleles responsible to express these phenotypes which are homozygous recessive. In human TAS2R38 genes located on the chromosome number 7 and consist of different nucleotide polymorphism that related to detection of the phenotype of different chemical compounds such as 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and phenylthiocarbamide bitterness and this Gene is the member of the TAS2R genes which are eleven pseudogenes and twenty that has roles in many biological processes. There are many factors that affect the bitter taste such as food, age, sex, and different diseases. The mechanism of food bitter taste and genotype of TAS2R38 until know not well understood due to that the proof of relation between bitter taste sensitivity and food is harmful. there are many different diseases can impact the influence of taste such as neoplasm and lifestyle such as consumption of alcohol along with the use of medication, head trauma, upper tract infections. On the other hand, A relation between TAS2R38 genotype and meal preferences has been observed among children, however, no associations have been mentioned among older adults. Some previous research proved some vital points that show an association between type 1 of diabetes and phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) but other studies cannot demonstrate that. However, of other disease such as obesity is controversial but other studies reported to the relationship between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harem Othman Smail
- Department of Biology, Faculty of science and health, Koya University Koya KOY45, Kurdistan Region-F.R. Iraq
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36
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Douglas JE, Lin C, Mansfield CJ, Arayata CJ, Cowart BJ, Spielman AI, Adappa ND, Palmer JN, Cohen NA, Reed DR. Tissue-Dependent Expression of Bitter Receptor TAS2R38 mRNA. Chem Senses 2019; 44:33-40. [PMID: 30351347 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
TAS2R38 is a human bitter receptor gene with a common but inactive allele; people homozygous for the inactive form cannot perceive low concentrations of certain bitter compounds. The frequency of the inactive and active forms of this receptor is nearly equal in many human populations, and heterozygotes with 1 copy of the active form and 1 copy of the inactive form have the most common diplotype. However, even though they have the same genotype, heterozygotes differ markedly in their perception of bitterness, perhaps in part because of differences in TAS2R38 mRNA expression. Other tissues express this receptor too, including the nasal sinuses, where it contributes to pathogen defense. We, therefore, wondered whether heterozygous people had a similar wide range of TAS2R38 mRNA in sinonasal tissue and whether those with higher TAS2R38 mRNA expression in taste tissue were similarly high expressers in nasal tissue. To that end, we measured gene expression by quantitative PCR in taste and sinonasal tissue and found that expression abundance in one tissue was not related to the other. We confirmed the independence of expression in other tissue pairs expressing TAS2R38 mRNA, such as pancreas and small intestine, using autopsy data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (although people with high expression of TAS2R38 mRNA in colon also tended to have higher expression in the small intestine). Thus, taste tissue TAS2R38 mRNA expression among heterozygotes is unlikely to predict expression in other tissues, perhaps reflecting tissue-dependent function, and hence regulation, of this protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Douglas
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cailu Lin
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Andrew I Spielman
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nithin D Adappa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James N Palmer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Noam A Cohen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center Surgical Services, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Roura E, Depoortere I, Navarro M. Review: Chemosensing of nutrients and non-nutrients in the human and porcine gastrointestinal tract. Animal 2019; 13:2714-2726. [PMID: 31387651 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731119001794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is an interface between the external and internal milieus that requires continuous monitoring for nutrients or pathogens and toxic chemicals. The study of the physiological/molecular mechanisms, mediating the responses to the monitoring of the GIT contents, has been referred to as chemosensory science. While most of the progress in this area of research has been obtained in laboratory rodents and humans, significant steps forward have also been reported in pigs. The objective of this review was to update the current knowledge on nutrient chemosensing in pigs in light of recent advances in humans and laboratory rodents. A second objective relates to informing the existence of nutrient sensors with their functionality, particularly linked to the gut peptides relevant to the onset/offset of appetite. Several cell types of the intestinal epithelium such as Paneth, goblet, tuft and enteroendocrine cells (EECs) contain subsets of chemosensory receptors also found on the tongue as part of the taste system. In particular, EECs show specific co-expression patterns between nutrient sensors and/or transceptors (transport proteins with sensing functions) and anorexigenic hormones such as cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), amongst others. In addition, the administration of bitter compounds has an inhibitory effect on GIT motility and on appetite through GLP-1-, CCK-, ghrelin- and PYY-labelled EECs in the human small intestine and colon. Furthermore, the mammalian chemosensory system is the target of some bacterial metabolites. Recent studies on the human microbiome have discovered that commensal bacteria have developed strategies to stimulate chemosensory receptors and trigger host cellular functions. Finally, the study of gene polymorphisms related to nutrient sensors explains differences in food choices, food intake and appetite between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Roura
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - I Depoortere
- Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, Gut Peptide Research Lab, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - M Navarro
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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38
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Piochi M, Cabrino G, Morini G, Torri L. Individual differences in the perception of orthonasal irritation induced by food. Appetite 2019; 144:104460. [PMID: 31536745 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Oral responsiveness to the burning/spicy sensation affects food behaviors and diet; therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the variation in nasal responsiveness to irritant foods may play a role in modulating food behaviors. This study explored the variation among individuals in orthonasal irritation induced by smelling food ingredients containing irritant compounds: mustard oil (2.0, 10.0, and 100.0% v/v mustard oil in corn oil; irritant compound: allyl isothiocyanate); vinegar (3.5, 42.3, and 98.6% v/v vinegar in water; irritant compound: acetic acid); and wasabi (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4% w/w wasabi powder in water; irritant compound: allyl isothiocyanate). Sixty-eight subjects (40% males; 19-87 years) smelled the nine samples and rated their perceived intensity of odor, irritation and liking. Wide individual variation in the perception of irritation and odor intensity was found, especially at the highest concentrations. Young individuals were the most sensitive to all stimuli. No significant differences were found between males and females. Fifty-seven percent of subjects were "HYPO" and 43 percent "HYPER" responsive to irritation, respectively. Perceived irritation was positively correlated with odor intensity and tended to be negatively correlated with liking, especially in familiar stimuli. The results suggest that the variation in nasal responsiveness to irritant foods may contribute to influencing food acceptance and therefore, to modulating food behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Piochi
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042, Pollenzo, Bra, Cuneo, Italy.
| | - G Cabrino
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042, Pollenzo, Bra, Cuneo, Italy.
| | - G Morini
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042, Pollenzo, Bra, Cuneo, Italy.
| | - L Torri
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042, Pollenzo, Bra, Cuneo, Italy.
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Carey RM, Lee RJ. Taste Receptors in Upper Airway Innate Immunity. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11092017. [PMID: 31466230 PMCID: PMC6770031 DOI: 10.3390/nu11092017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Taste receptors, first identified on the tongue, are best known for their role in guiding our dietary preferences. The expression of taste receptors for umami, sweet, and bitter have been demonstrated in tissues outside of the oral cavity, including in the airway, brain, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive organs. The extra-oral taste receptor chemosensory pathways and the endogenous taste receptor ligands are generally unknown, but there is increasing data suggesting that taste receptors are involved in regulating some aspects of innate immunity, and may potentially control the composition of the nasal microbiome in healthy individuals or patients with upper respiratory diseases like chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). For this reason, taste receptors may serve as potential therapeutic targets, providing alternatives to conventional antibiotics. This review focuses on the physiology of sweet (T1R) and bitter (T2R) taste receptors in the airway and their activation by secreted bacterial products. There is particular focus on T2R38 in sinonasal ciliated cells, as well as the sweet and bitter receptors found on specialized sinonasal solitary chemosensory cells. Additionally, this review explores the impact of genetic variations in these receptors on the differential susceptibility of patients to upper airway infections, such as CRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Carey
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert J Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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40
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Fu D, Riordan S, Kieran S, Andrews RA, Ring HZ, Ring BZ. Complex relationship between TAS2 receptor variations, bitterness perception, and alcohol consumption observed in a population of wine consumers. Food Funct 2019; 10:1643-1652. [PMID: 30838360 DOI: 10.1039/c8fo01578c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Our ability to taste bitterness affects our food choices and alcohol consumption. Alleles in the taste 2 receptor member TAS2R38 have been linked to the ability to perceive bitterness in bitter-tasting compounds and in many foods, and people with these bitterness sensitivity alleles have been shown to be less likely to consume alcohol, presumably because of alcohol's bitter taste. In a survey of 519 participants, almost all of whom regularly consumed alcohol, we observed that genetic variants in TAS2R38 were significantly associated with both increased alcohol consumption and the ability to perceive bitterness in several foods and a bitter chemical. In total, we assayed 39 variants in 25 genes that have been implicated in the genetics of taste perception, and no other variants predicted alcohol consumption. Perception of bitterness in broccoli and a preference for black coffee were also positively associated with alcohol consumption. As the consumption of alcohol is a social activity there may be incentive to appreciate its bitter aspects, and increased perception of bitterness could therefore be associated with consumption of some bitter beverages. As this study's respondents were predominantly frequent consumers of alcohol, these findings may be consistent with previous studies that have seen that increased experience in the consumption of wine is associated with an increased perception of PROP bitterness. Further work elucidating the complex relationship between the genetics of bitter perception and alcohol consumption will better describe these connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denggang Fu
- Institute of Genomic and Personalized Medicine, College of Life Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
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Cont G, Paviotti G, Montico M, Paganin P, Guerra M, Trappan A, Demarini S, Gasparini P, Robino A. TAS2R38 bitter taste genotype is associated with complementary feeding behavior in infants. GENES AND NUTRITION 2019; 14:13. [PMID: 31073343 PMCID: PMC6499955 DOI: 10.1186/s12263-019-0640-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Genetically mediated sensitivity to bitter taste has been associated with food preferences and eating behavior in adults and children. The aim of this study was to assess the association between TAS2R38 bitter taste genotype and the first complementary food acceptance in infants. Parents of healthy, breastfed, term-born infants were instructed, at discharge from the nursery, to feed their baby with a first complementary meal of 150 mL at 4 to 6 months of age. They recorded the day when the child ate the whole meal in a questionnaire. Additional data included food composition, breastfeeding duration, feeding practices, and growth at 6 months. Infants’ TAS2R38 genotypes were determined at birth, and infants were classified as “bitter-insensitive” (genotype AVI/AVI) and “bitter-sensitive” (genotypes AVI/PAV or PAV/PAV). Results One hundred seventy-six infants and their mothers were enrolled; completed data were available for 131/176 (74.4%) infants (gestational age 39.3 ± 1.1 weeks, birth weight 3390 ± 430 g). Bitter-insensitive were 45/131 (34.3%), and bitter-sensitive were 86/131 (65.6%). Thirty-one percent of bitter-insensitive infants consumed the whole complementary meal at first attempt, versus 13% of bitter-sensitive ones (p = 0.006). This difference was significant independently of confounding variables such as sex, breastfeeding, or foods used in the meal. Growth at 6 months did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions Differences in TAS2R38 bitter taste gene were associated with acceptance of the first complementary food in infants, suggesting a possible involvement in eating behavior at weaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Cont
- 1Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giulia Paviotti
- 1Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy
| | - Marcella Montico
- 1Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy
| | - Paola Paganin
- 2Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Guerra
- 2Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Antonella Trappan
- 1Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy
| | - Sergio Demarini
- 1Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy
| | - Paolo Gasparini
- 1Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy.,2Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Antonietta Robino
- 1Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy
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Cecchini MP, Federico A, Zanini A, Mantovani E, Masala C, Tinazzi M, Tamburin S. Olfaction and taste in Parkinson's disease: the association with mild cognitive impairment and the single cognitive domain dysfunction. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2019; 126:585-595. [PMID: 30911822 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-019-01996-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and chemosensory dysfunction are non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but their association is unclear. We explored if MCI and the involvement of single cognitive domains influence olfaction and taste in PD. The role of demographic, clinical and neuropsychiatric variables was tested. We recruited 50 PD patients without dementia, no other reasons for cognitive impairment, no condition that could influence evaluation of cognition, olfaction and taste. They underwent a full neuropsychological and chemosensory (i.e., olfaction and taste) test with the Sniffin' Sticks Extended test (SSET), Whole Mouth test (WMT) and Taste Strips test (TST). Fifty age- and sex-matched healthy subjects served as controls. Olfactory function and sweet identification were worse in PD than controls. MCI negatively influenced odor identification. Factors associated with poor olfactory function were age, overall cognition, apathy, and visuospatial dysfunction. Sour identification was affected by MCI and executive dysfunction, and salty identification by executive dysfunction. MCI, age and executive dysfunction worsened TST score. Awareness of olfactory dysfunction was impaired in PD with MCI. Education positively influenced SSET and TST scores. Our data confirmed that olfaction is abnormal in PD, while taste was only slightly impaired. Olfaction was worse in PD patients with visuospatial dysfunction, while sour and salty identification was worse in those with MCI and executive dysfunction, suggesting different underlying anatomical abnormalities. Future studies should incorporate neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid data to confirm this hypothesis. SSET odor identification and TST sour identification could be explored as quick screening tests for PD-MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Paola Cecchini
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134, Verona, Italy.
| | - Angela Federico
- Section of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Piazzale Scuro 10, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Alice Zanini
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Elisa Mantovani
- Section of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Piazzale Scuro 10, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Carla Masala
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michele Tinazzi
- Section of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Piazzale Scuro 10, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Stefano Tamburin
- Section of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Piazzale Scuro 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
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Cattaneo C, Gargari G, Koirala R, Laureati M, Riso P, Guglielmetti S, Pagliarini E. New insights into the relationship between taste perception and oral microbiota composition. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3549. [PMID: 30837660 PMCID: PMC6401163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40374-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Fairly poor data are available on the relationship between taste perception, food preferences and oral microbiota. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that subjects with higher responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiuracil (PROP) might be characterized by a different taste sensitivity and tongue microbiota composition. Indeed, the bacterial metabolism may modulate/enhance the concentration of tastants near the taste receptors, modifying taste perception through a sensorial adaptation mechanism or by a broad range of microbial metabolic pathways. The detection thresholds of sweet, sour, salty and bitter, the Fungiform Papillae Density (FPD) and the composition of bacteria lining the tongue were determined in Supertasters (high PROP responsiveness, ST) and Non-tasters (low PROP responsiveness, NT). An important inter-individual variability was found for all taste stimuli and FPD between the two groups, with NT subjects showing significant higher threshold values and a lower FPD than with STs. We found five bacterial genera whose relative abundances were significantly higher in STs than NTs. This study opens new avenues of research by highlighting associations between parameters usually studied independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Cattaneo
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Gargari
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Ranjan Koirala
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Laureati
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Riso
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Guglielmetti
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Ella Pagliarini
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
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Larsen BA, Litt MD, Huedo-Medina TB, Duffy VB. Modeling Associations between Chemosensation, Liking for Fats and Sweets, Dietary Behaviors and Body Mass Index in Chronic Smokers. Nutrients 2019; 11:E271. [PMID: 30691090 PMCID: PMC6412709 DOI: 10.3390/nu11020271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic smokers have a greater risk for altered chemosensation, unhealthy dietary patterns, and excessive adiposity. In an observational study of chronic smokers, we modeled relationships between chemosensation, fat/carbohydrate liking, smoking-associated dietary behaviors, and body mass index (BMI). Also tested in the model was liking for sweet electronic cigarette juice (e-juice). Smokers (n = 135, 37 ± 11 years) were measured for: Taste genetics (intensity of 6-n-propylthiouracil-PROP); taste (NaCl and quinine intensities) and olfactory (odor identification) function; liking for cherry e-juice; and weight/height to calculate BMI. Smokers survey-reported their food liking and use of smoking for appetite/weight control. Structural equation models tested direct and indirect relationships between chemosensation, fat/carbohydrate liking, dietary behaviors, and BMI. In good-fitting models, taste intensity was linked to BMI variation through fat/carbohydrate liking (greater PROP intensity→greater NaCl intensity→greater food liking→higher BMI). Olfactory function tended to predict sweet e-juice liking, which, in turn, partially mediated the food liking and BMI association. The path between smoking-associated dietary behaviors and BMI was direct and independent of chemosensation or liking. These findings indicate that taste associates with BMI in chronic smokers through liking of fats/carbohydrates. Future research should determine if vaping sweet e-juice could improve diet quality and adiposity for smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Larsen
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | - Mark D Litt
- Division of Behavioral Sciences & Community Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
| | - Tania B Huedo-Medina
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | - Valerie B Duffy
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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45
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Choi JH, Kim J. TAS2R38 Bitterness Receptor Genetic Variation and Risk of Gastrointestinal Neoplasm: A Meta-Analysis. Nutr Cancer 2019; 71:585-593. [PMID: 30663393 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2018.1559935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variation in TAS2R38 bitterness taste receptor could alter the efficacy of molecular sensing, hence may be associated with cancer risk. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to verify the association between the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasm and TAS2R38 genetic variation. Studies with TAS2R38 diplotype distribution and GI neoplasm phenotypes were searched from PubMed, EMBASE and SCOPUS, and five articles including eight studies were finally selected. The association between diplotype and neoplasm risk was estimated with summarized odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), applying of fixed- or random-effects models. The findings suggested TAS2R38 diplotype was not associated with GI neoplasms susceptibility [AVI vs. PAV: OR = 1.03 (95%CI: 0.97-1.09), AVI/PAV vs. PAV/PAV: OR = 1.05, (95%CI: 0.94-1.17), AVI/* vs. PAV/PAV: OR = 1.04 (95%CI: 0.94-1.16)]. Because of the presence of heterogeneity under the two genetic models (AVI/AVI vs. PAV/PAV and AVI/AVI vs. PAV/*), further subgroup analyses by ethnicity and neoplasm type were performed. However, results failed to show the neoplasm risk was altered by diplotype. In conclusion, the meta-analysis indicates that TAS2R38 diplotype minimally modified the GI neoplasm risk. Given the limited study size and resources, further well-designed and larger studies are required to validate the true effect of TAS2R38 polymorphisms on neoplasm risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong-Hwa Choi
- a Department of Cancer Biomedical Science Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy , National Cancer Center , Goyang-si , Gyeonggi-do , Korea.,b Department of Food Science and Nutrition , Keimyung University , Dalseo-gu , Daegu , Korea
| | - Jeongseon Kim
- a Department of Cancer Biomedical Science Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy , National Cancer Center , Goyang-si , Gyeonggi-do , Korea
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Interactions between Bitter Taste, Diet and Dysbiosis: Consequences for Appetite and Obesity. Nutrients 2018; 10:nu10101336. [PMID: 30241292 PMCID: PMC6213475 DOI: 10.3390/nu10101336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The type 2 family of taste receptors (T2Rs) detect and respond to bitter tastants. These receptors are expressed throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, with location dependant roles. In the oral cavity, T2Rs are involved in the conscious perception of bitter tastants, while in the lower GI tract they have roles in chemoreception and regulation of GI function. Through these diverse roles, these receptors may be involved in modulating appetite and diet, with consequences for weight regulation and obesity. Interestingly, the concentration of T2Rs in the GI tract is greatest in the large intestine, the organ with the densest colonisation of bacteria. The gut microbiome has been the subject of intense research, as a plethora of roles linking microbiota to human health continue to be uncovered. Of particular interest is the microbial signature associated with obesity. Obesity is a leading health concern, and advances in our understanding of this disease are needed. Diet is a known modifiable factor in the development of obesity. However, diet only partially explains disease risk. Changes in microbial energy harvesting by the microbiota plays a role in obesity, and the composition of these energy harvesting populations may be controlled by taste receptors. This review explores T2Rs as a potential link between obesity and the human GI microbiome.
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Risso D, Sainz E, Morini G, Tofanelli S, Drayna D. Taste Perception of Antidesma bunius Fruit and Its Relationships to Bitter Taste Receptor Gene Haplotypes. Chem Senses 2018; 43:463-468. [PMID: 29878085 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It was shown more than 40 years ago that the ability to perceive the bitterness of the fruit of the Antidesma bunius tree is inversely correlated with the ability to perceive the well-studied bitter tastant phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). To determine if variants of the TAS2R38 gene, which encodes the PTC taste receptor, or variants in any of the other TAS2R bitter or TAS1R sweet receptor genes account for Antidesma taste perception, we recruited an independent subject sample and examined associations between these taste receptor gene haplotypes and Antidesma perception. Consistent with previous findings, almost none of our subjects who reported Antidesma juice as bitter was a PTC "responder" by previous definitions (i.e. a PTC taster). In our study, of the 132 individuals who perceived PTC as bitter, 15 perceived Antidesma as bitter, although these 15 subjects had very weak bitterness perception scores. Examination of TAS2R38 gene haplotypes showed that, of the subjects who perceive Antidesma as bitter, all carried at least one copy of the TAS2R38 AVI (PTC non-taster) haplotype. However, 86 subjects carried at least one AVI haplotype and failed to perceive Antidesma as bitter. No other TAS2R or TAS1R gene variants showed an association with Antidesma bitter, sweet, or sour perception. Our results show that TAS2R38 haplotypes are associated with differential perception of Antidesma berry juice bitterness, and that all those who perceive this bitterness carry at least one AVI haplotype. This indicates that the AVI haplotype is necessary for this perception, but that additional variable factors are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Risso
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eduardo Sainz
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gabriella Morini
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, Bra, Pollenzo, CN, Italy
| | - Sergio Tofanelli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Ghini, Pisa, Italy
| | - Dennis Drayna
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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48
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Calancie L, Keyserling TC, Taillie LS, Robasky K, Patterson C, Ammerman AS, Schisler JC. TAS2R38 Predisposition to Bitter Taste Associated with Differential Changes in Vegetable Intake in Response to a Community-Based Dietary Intervention. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:2107-2119. [PMID: 29686110 PMCID: PMC5982837 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.300547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Although vegetable consumption associates with decreased risk for a variety of diseases, few Americans meet dietary recommendations for vegetable intake. TAS2R38 encodes a taste receptor that confers bitter taste sensing from chemicals found in some vegetables. Common polymorphisms in TAS2R38 lead to coding substitutions that alter receptor function and result in the loss of bitter taste perception. Our study examined whether bitter taste perception TAS2R38 diplotypes associated with vegetable consumption in participants enrolled in either an enhanced or a minimal nutrition counseling intervention. DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood cells of study participants (N = 497) and analyzed for polymorphisms. Vegetable consumption was determined using the Block Fruit and Vegetable screener. We tested for differences in the frequency of vegetable consumption between intervention and genotype groups over time using mixed effects models. Baseline vegetable consumption frequency did not associate with bitter taste diplotypes (P = 0.937), however after six months of the intervention, we observed an interaction between bitter taste diplotypes and time (P = 0.046). Participants in the enhanced intervention increased their vegetable consumption frequency (P = 0.020) and within this intervention group, the bitter non-tasters and intermediate-bitter tasters had the largest increase in vegetable consumption. In contrast, in the minimal intervention group, the bitter tasting participants reported a decrease in vegetable consumption. Bitter-non tasters and intermediate-bitter tasters increased vegetable consumption in either intervention more than those who perceive bitterness. Future precision medicine applications could consider genetic variation in bitter taste perception genes when designing dietary interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas C Keyserling
- Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology
| | | | | | - Cam Patterson
- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY 10065
| | - Alice S Ammerman
- Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health
| | - Jonathan C Schisler
- McAllister Heart Institute, Department of Pharmacology, and Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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Valente C, Alvarez L, Marques PI, Gusmão L, Amorim A, Seixas S, João Prata M. Genes from the TAS1R and TAS2R Families of Taste Receptors: Looking for Signatures of Their Adaptive Role in Human Evolution. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:1139-1152. [PMID: 29635333 PMCID: PMC5905477 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Taste perception is crucial in monitoring food intake and, hence, is thought to play a significant role in human evolution. To gain insights into possible adaptive signatures in genes encoding bitter, sweet, and umami taste receptors, we surveyed the available sequence variation data from the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 3 for TAS1R (TAS1R1-3) and TAS2R (TAS2R16 and TAS2R38) families. Our study demonstrated that genes from these two families have experienced contrasting evolutionary histories: While TAS1R1 and TAS1R3 showed worldwide evidence of positive selection, probably correlated with improved umami and sweet perception, the patterns of variation displayed by TAS2R16 and TAS2R38 were more consistent with scenarios of balancing selection that possibly conferred a heterozygous advantage associated with better capacity to perceive a wide range of bitter compounds. In TAS2R16, such adaptive events appear to have occurred restrictively in mainland Africa, whereas the strongest evidence in TAS2R38 was detected in Europe. Despite plausible associations between taste perception and the TAS1R and TAS2R selective signatures, we cannot discount other biological mechanisms as driving the evolutionary trajectories of those TAS1R and TAS2R members, especially given recent findings of taste receptors behaving as the products of pleiotropic genes involved in many functions outside the gustatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Valente
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Luis Alvarez
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Isabel Marques
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Leonor Gusmão
- DNA Diagnostic Laboratory (LDD), State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil
| | - António Amorim
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Seixas
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria João Prata
- I3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
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Freund JR, Lee RJ. Taste receptors in the upper airway. World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2018; 4:67-76. [PMID: 30035264 PMCID: PMC6051256 DOI: 10.1016/j.wjorl.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Taste receptors were named for their originally-identified expression on the tongue and role in the sensation of taste (gustation). They are now known to be involved in many chemosensory processes outside the tongue. Expression of the receptors for bitter, sweet, and umami was recently identified in many organs, including the brain, airway, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive systems. We do not yet know the full roles of these receptors in all of these tissues, nor do we know all of the endogenous ligands that activate them. However, taste receptors are emerging as potentially important therapeutic targets. Moreover, they may mediate some off target effects of drugs, as many medications in common clinical use are known to be bitter. The focus of this review is on recent basic and clinical data describing the expression of bitter (T2R) and sweet (T1R) receptors in the airway and their activation by secreted bacterial compounds. These receptors play important roles in innate immune nitric oxide production and antimicrobial peptide secretion, and may be useful targets for stimulating immune responses in the upper respiratory tract via topical therapies. Moreover, genetic variation in these receptors may play a role in the differential susceptibility of patients to certain types of respiratory infections as well as to differential outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). CRS is a syndrome of chronic upper respiratory infection and inflammation and has a significant detrimental impact on patient quality of life. CRS treatment accounts for approximately 20% of adult antibiotic prescriptions and is thus a large driver of the public health crisis of antibiotic resistance. Taste receptors represent a novel class of therapeutic target to potentially stimulate endogenous immune responses and treat CRS patients without conventional antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna R Freund
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert J Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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