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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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Risch N. 2023 lifetime achievement award: "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together". Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:412-423. [PMID: 38458162 PMCID: PMC10995461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
This article is based on the address given by the author at the 2023 meeting of The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). A video of the original address can be found at the ASHG website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Risch
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Fransisco, CA, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Fransisco, CA, USA; Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA.
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3
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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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Veilleux CC, Garrett EC, Pajic P, Saitou M, Ochieng J, Dagsaan LD, Dominy NJ, Perry GH, Gokcumen O, Melin AD. Human subsistence and signatures of selection on chemosensory genes. Commun Biol 2023; 6:683. [PMID: 37400713 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05047-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemosensation (olfaction, taste) is essential for detecting and assessing foods, such that dietary shifts elicit evolutionary changes in vertebrate chemosensory genes. The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture dramatically altered how humans acquire food. Recent genetic and linguistic studies suggest agriculture may have precipitated olfactory degeneration. Here, we explore the effects of subsistence behaviors on olfactory (OR) and taste (TASR) receptor genes among rainforest foragers and neighboring agriculturalists in Africa and Southeast Asia. We analyze 378 functional OR and 26 functional TASR genes in 133 individuals across populations in Uganda (Twa, Sua, BaKiga) and the Philippines (Agta, Mamanwa, Manobo) with differing subsistence histories. We find no evidence of relaxed selection on chemosensory genes in agricultural populations. However, we identify subsistence-related signatures of local adaptation on chemosensory genes within each geographic region. Our results highlight the importance of culture, subsistence economy, and drift in human chemosensory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie C Veilleux
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, 19555 N 59th Ave, Glendale, AZ, 85308, USA.
- Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Eva C Garrett
- Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Petar Pajic
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, 109 Cooke Hall, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Marie Saitou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, 109 Cooke Hall, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Joseph Ochieng
- Department of Anatomy, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Lilia D Dagsaan
- National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, Botolan, Philippines
| | - Nathaniel J Dominy
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, 6047 Silsby Hall, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - George H Perry
- Departments of Anthropology and Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 410 Carpenter Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Omer Gokcumen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, 109 Cooke Hall, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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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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Kurshed AAM, Vincze F, Pikó P, Kósa Z, Sándor J, Ádány R, Diószegi J. Taste Preference-Related Genetic Polymorphisms Modify Alcohol Consumption Behavior of the Hungarian General and Roma Populations. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030666. [PMID: 36980937 PMCID: PMC10048713 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030666] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Harmful alcohol consumption has been considered a major public health issue globally, with the amounts of alcohol drunk being highest in the WHO European Region including Hungary. Alcohol consumption behaviors are complex human traits influenced by environmental factors and numerous genes. Beyond alcohol metabolization and neurotransmitter gene polymorphisms, taste preference-related genetic variants may also mediate alcohol consumption behaviors. Applying the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) we aimed to elucidate the underlying genetic determinants of alcohol consumption patterns considering taste preference gene polymorphisms (TAS1R3 rs307355, TAS2R38 rs713598, TAS2R19 rs10772420 and CA6 rs2274333) in the Hungarian general (HG) and Roma (HR) populations. Alcohol consumption assessment was available for 410 HG and 387 HR individuals with 405 HG and 364 HR DNA samples being obtained for genotyping. No significant associations were found between TAS1R3 rs307355, TAS2R19 rs10772420, and CA6 rs2274333 polymorphisms and alcohol consumption phenotypes. Significant associations were identified between TAS2R38 rs713598 and the number of standard drinks consumed in the HG sample (genotype GG negatively correlated with the number of standard drinks; coef: -0.136, p = 0.028) and the prevalence of having six or more drinks among Roma (a negative correlation was identified in the recessive model; genotype GG, coef: -0.170, p = 0.049), although, none of these findings passed the Bonferroni-corrected probability criterion (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, our findings may suggest that alcohol consumption is partially driven by genetically determined taste preferences in our study populations. Further studies are required to strengthen the findings and to understand the drivers of alcohol consumption behavior in more depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Abbas Mohammad Kurshed
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Ferenc Vincze
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Péter Pikó
- ELKH-DE Public Health Research Group, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsigmond Kósa
- Department of Health Methodology and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, Hungary
| | - János Sándor
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
- ELKH-DE Public Health Research Group, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Róza Ádány
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
- ELKH-DE Public Health Research Group, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Judit Diószegi
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
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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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Wooding SP, Ramirez VA. Global population genetics and diversity in the TAS2R bitter taste receptor family. Front Genet 2022; 13:952299. [PMID: 36303543 PMCID: PMC9592824 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.952299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are noted for their role in perception, and mounting evidence suggests that they mediate responses to compounds entering airways, gut, and other tissues. The importance of these roles suggests that TAS2Rs have been under pressure from natural selection. To determine the extent of variation in TAS2Rs on a global scale and its implications for human evolution and behavior, we analyzed patterns of diversity in the complete 25 gene repertoire of human TAS2Rs in ∼2,500 subjects representing worldwide populations. Across the TAS2R family as a whole, we observed 721 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including 494 nonsynonymous SNPs along with 40 indels and gained and lost start and stop codons. In addition, computational predictions identified 169 variants particularly likely to affect receptor function, making them candidate sources of phenotypic variation. Diversity levels ranged widely among loci, with the number of segregating sites ranging from 17 to 41 with a mean of 32 among genes and per nucleotide heterozygosity (π) ranging from 0.02% to 0.36% with a mean of 0.12%. FST ranged from 0.01 to 0.26 with a mean of 0.13, pointing to modest differentiation among populations. Comparisons of observed π and FST values with their genome wide distributions revealed that most fell between the 5th and 95th percentiles and were thus consistent with expectations. Further, tests for natural selection using Tajima’s D statistic revealed only two loci departing from expectations given D’s genome wide distribution. These patterns are consistent with an overall relaxation of selective pressure on TAS2Rs in the course of recent human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P. Wooding
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Stephen P. Wooding,
| | - Vicente A. Ramirez
- Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
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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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10
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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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11
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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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12
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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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13
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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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14
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Sjöstrand AE, Sjödin P, Hegay T, Nikolaeva A, Shayimkulov F, Blum MGB, Heyer E, Jakobsson M. Taste perception and lifestyle: insights from phenotype and genome data among Africans and Asians. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 29:325-337. [PMID: 33005019 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-00736-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste is essential for the interaction of animals with their food and has co-evolved with diet. Humans have peopled a large range of environments and present a wide range of diets, but little is known about the diversity and evolution of human taste perception. We measured taste recognition thresholds across populations differing in lifestyles (hunter gatherers and farmers from Central Africa, nomad herders, and farmers from Central Asia). We also generated genome-wide genotype data and performed association studies and selection scans in order to link the phenotypic variation in taste sensitivity with genetic variation. We found that hunter gatherers have lower overall sensitivity as well as lower sensitivity to quinine and fructose than their farming neighbors. In parallel, there is strong population divergence in genes associated with tongue morphogenesis and genes involved in the transduction pathway of taste signals in the African populations. We find signals of recent selection in bitter taste-receptor genes for all four populations. Enrichment analysis on association scans for the various tastes confirmed already documented associations and revealed novel GO terms that are good candidates for being involved in taste perception. Our framework permitted us to gain insight into the genetic basis of taste sensitivity variation across populations and lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès E Sjöstrand
- Department Organismal Biology, EBC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Université Grenoble Alpes, TIMC-IMAG UMR 5525, F-38000, Grenoble, France.,CNRS, TIMC-IMAG, F-38000, Grenoble, France.,Laboratoire d'Eco-Anthropologie UMR7206, CNRS, MNHN, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Per Sjödin
- Department Organismal Biology, EBC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tatyana Hegay
- Academy of Sciences, Institute of Immunology, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Anna Nikolaeva
- Academy of Sciences, Institute of Immunology, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | | | - Michael G B Blum
- Université Grenoble Alpes, TIMC-IMAG UMR 5525, F-38000, Grenoble, France. .,CNRS, TIMC-IMAG, F-38000, Grenoble, France.
| | - Evelyne Heyer
- Laboratoire d'Eco-Anthropologie UMR7206, CNRS, MNHN, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Department Organismal Biology, EBC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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15
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Purba LHPS, Widayati KA, Suzuki-Hashido N, Itoigawa A, Hayakawa T, Nila S, Juliandi B, Suryobroto B, Imai H. Evolution of the bitter taste receptor TAS2R38 in colobines. Primates 2020; 61:485-494. [PMID: 32006126 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-020-00799-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Bitter taste perception enables the detection of potentially toxic molecules and thus evokes avoidance behavior in vertebrates. It is mediated by bitter taste receptors, TAS2Rs. One of the best-studied TAS2R is TAS2R38. Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) perception and TAS2R38 receptors vary across primate species, and this variation may be related to variation in dietary preferences. In particular, we previously found that the low sensitivity of TAS2R38s in Asian colobines likely evolved as an adaptation to their leaf-eating behavior. However, it remains unclear whether this low PTC sensitivity is a general characteristic of the subfamily Colobinae, a primate group that feeds predominantly on leaves. We performed genetic analyses, functional assays with mutant proteins, and behavioral analyses to evaluate the general characteristics of TAS2R38 in colobines. We found that PTC sensitivity is lower in TAS2R38s of African colobines than in TAS2R38s of omnivorous macaques. Furthermore, two amino acids shared between Asian and African colobines were responsible for low sensitivity to PTC, suggesting that the last common ancestor of extant colobines had this phenotype. We also detected amino acid differences between TAS2R38s in Asian and African colobines, indicating that they evolved independently after the separation of these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kanthi Arum Widayati
- Department of Biology, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia.
| | - Nami Suzuki-Hashido
- Academy of Emerging Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
| | - Akihiro Itoigawa
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan.,Molecular Biology Section, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primates Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Takashi Hayakawa
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.,Department of Wildlife Science (Nagoya Railroad Co., Ltd.), Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.,Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-0081, Japan
| | - Sarah Nila
- Department of Biology, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia
| | - Berry Juliandi
- Department of Biology, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia
| | - Bambang Suryobroto
- Department of Biology, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia
| | - Hiroo Imai
- Molecular Biology Section, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primates Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
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16
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Diószegi J, Llanaj E, Ádány R. Genetic Background of Taste Perception, Taste Preferences, and Its Nutritional Implications: A Systematic Review. Front Genet 2019; 10:1272. [PMID: 31921309 PMCID: PMC6930899 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The rise in nutrition-related morbidity and mortality requires public health intervention programs targeting nutritional behavior. In addition to socio-economical, socio-cultural, psychological determinants, taste is one of the main factors that influence food choices. Differences in taste perception and sensitivity may be explained by genetic variations, therefore the knowledge of the extent to which genetic factors influence the development of individual taste preferences and eating patterns is important for public policy actions addressing nutritional behaviors. Our aim was to review genetic polymorphisms accounting for variability in taste and food preferences to contribute to an improved understanding of development of taste and food preferences. Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using MeSH in PubMed and free text terms for articles published between January 1, 2000 and April 13, 2018. The search strategy was conducted following the PRISMA statement. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the validated Q-Genie tool. Results: Following the PRISMA flowchart, finally 103 articles were included in the review. Among the reviewed studies, 43 were rated to have good quality, 47 were rated to have moderate quality, and 13 were rated to have low quality. The majority of the studies assessed the association of genetic variants with the bitter taste modality, followed by articles analyzing the impact of polymorphisms on sweet and fat preferences. The number of studies investigating the association between umami, salty, and sour taste qualities and genetic polymorphisms was limited. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a significant association exists between TAS2R38 variants (rs713598, rs1726866, rs10246939) and bitter and sweet taste preference. Other confirmed results are related to rs1761667 (CD36) and fat taste responsiveness. Otherwise further research is essential to confirm results of studies related to genetic variants and individual taste sensitivity. This knowledge may enhance our understanding of the development of individual taste and related food preferences and food choices that will aid the development of tailored public health strategy to reduce nutrition-related disease and morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Diószegi
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Erand Llanaj
- Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Róza Ádány
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,WHO Collaborating Centre on Vulnerability and Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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17
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Campbell MC, Ashong B, Teng S, Harvey J, Cross CN. Multiple selective sweeps of ancient polymorphisms in and around LTα located in the MHC class III region on chromosome 6. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:218. [PMID: 31791241 PMCID: PMC6889576 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1516-y] [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: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lymphotoxin-α (LTα), located in the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class III region on chromosome 6, encodes a cytotoxic protein that mediates a variety of antiviral responses among other biological functions. Furthermore, several genotypes at this gene have been implicated in the onset of a number of complex diseases, including myocardial infarction, autoimmunity, and various types of cancer. However, little is known about levels of nucleotide variation and linkage disequilibrium (LD) in and near LTα, which could also influence phenotypic variance. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined sequence variation across ~ 10 kilobases (kbs), encompassing LTα and the upstream region, in 2039 individuals from the 1000 Genomes Project originating from 21 global populations. RESULTS Here, we observed striking patterns of diversity, including an excess of intermediate-frequency alleles, the maintenance of multiple common haplotypes and a deep coalescence time for variation (dating > 1.0 million years ago), in global populations. While these results are generally consistent with a model of balancing selection, we also uncovered a signature of positive selection in the form of long-range LD on chromosomes with derived alleles primarily in Eurasian populations. To reconcile these findings, which appear to support different models of selection, we argue that selective sweeps (particularly, soft sweeps) of multiple derived alleles in and/or near LTα occurred in non-Africans after their ancestors left Africa. Furthermore, these targets of selection were predicted to alter transcription factor binding site affinity and protein stability, suggesting they play a role in gene function. Additionally, our data also showed that a subset of these functional adaptive variants are present in archaic hominin genomes. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study identified candidate functional alleles in a biologically-relevant genomic region, and offers new insights into the evolutionary origins of these loci in modern human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Campbell
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 USA
| | - Bryan Ashong
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 USA
| | - Shaolei Teng
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 USA
| | - Jayla Harvey
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 USA
| | - Christopher N. Cross
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059 USA
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18
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Widayati KA, Yan X, Suzuki‐Hashido N, Itoigawa A, Purba LHPS, Fahri F, Terai Y, Suryobroto B, Imai H. Functional divergence of the bitter receptor TAS2R38 in Sulawesi macaques. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10387-10403. [PMID: 31624557 PMCID: PMC6787832 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Bitter perception is mediated by G protein-coupled receptors TAS2Rs and plays an important role in avoiding the ingestion of toxins by inducing innate avoidance behavior in mammals. One of the best-studied TAS2Rs is TAS2R38, which mediates the perception of the bitterness of synthetic phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Previous studies of TAS2R38 have suggested that geographical separation enabled the independent divergence of bitter taste perception. The functional divergence of TAS2R38 in allopatric species has not been evaluated. We characterized the function of TAS2R38 in four allopatric species of Sulawesi macaques on Sulawesi Island. We found variation in PTC taste perception both within and across species. In most cases, TAS2R38 was sensitive to PTC, with functional divergence among species. We observed different truncated TAS2R38s that were not responsive to PTC in each species of Macaca nigra and M. nigrescens due to premature stop codons. Some variants of intact TAS2R38 with an amino acid substitution showed low sensitivity to PTC in M. tonkeana. Similarly, this intact TAS2R38 with PTC-low sensitivity has also been found in humans. We detected a shared haplotype in all four Sulawesi macaques, which may be the ancestral haplotype of Sulawesi macaques. In addition to shared haplotypes among Sulawesi macaques, other TAS2R38 haplotypes were species-specific. These results implied that the variation in TAS2R38 might be shaped by geographical patterns and local adaptation. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES This article has earned an Open Data Badge for making publicly available the digitally-shareable data necessary to reproduce the reported results. The data is available at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.908jf3r.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanthi Arum Widayati
- Department of BiologyBogor Agricultural UniversityBogorIndonesia
- Wildlife Research CenterKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Xiaochan Yan
- Primate Research InstituteKyoto UniversityInuyamaJapan
| | | | | | | | - Fahri Fahri
- Department of BiologyTadulako UniversityPaluIndonesia
| | - Yohey Terai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsThe Graduate University for Advanced StudiesHayamaJapan
| | | | - Hiroo Imai
- Primate Research InstituteKyoto UniversityInuyamaJapan
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19
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Vinuthalakshmi K, Sheik N, Mustak MS. TAS2R38 gene polymorphism and its association with taste perception, alcoholism and tobacco chewing among the Koraga -a primitive tribal population of Southwest coast of India. Meta Gene 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mgene.2019.100549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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20
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Dobon B, Rossell C, Walsh S, Bertranpetit J. Is there adaptation in the human genome for taste perception and phase I biotransformation? BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:39. [PMID: 30704392 PMCID: PMC6357387 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1366-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During the modern human expansion, new environmental pressures may have driven adaptation, especially in genes related to the perception of ingested substances and their detoxification. Consequently, positive (adaptive) selection may have occurred in genes related to taste, and in those related to the CYP450 system due to its role in biotransformation of potentially toxic compounds. A total of 91 genes (taste receptors and CYP450 superfamily) have been studied using Hierarchical Boosting, a powerful combination of different selection tests, to detect signatures of recent positive selection in three continental human populations: Northern Europeans (CEU), East Asians (CHB) and Africans (YRI). Analyses have been refined with selection analyses of the 26 populations of 1000 Genomes Project Phase 3. Results Genes related to taste perception have not been positively selected in the three continental human populations. This finding suggests that, contrary to results of previous studies, different allele frequencies among populations in genes such as TAS2R38 and TAS2R16 are not due to positive selection but to genetic drift. CYP1 and CYP2 genes, also previously considered to be under positive selection, did not show signatures of selective sweeps. However, three genes belonging to the CYP450 system have been identified by the Hierarchical Boosting as positively selected: CYP3A4 and CYP3A43 in CEU, and CYP27A1 in CHB. Conclusions No main adaptive differences are found in known taste receptor genes among the three continental human populations studied. However, there are important genetic adaptations in the cytochrome P450 system related to the Out of Africa expansion of modern humans. We confirmed that CYP3A4 and CYP3A43 are under selection in CEU, and we report for the first time CYP27A1 to be under positive selection in CHB. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-019-1366-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Dobon
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader, 88. 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carla Rossell
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23a, 17165, Stockholm, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sandra Walsh
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader, 88. 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jaume Bertranpetit
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader, 88. 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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21
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Wooding SP. Bitter Fruit: Inverse Associations Between PTC and Antidesma bunius Perception. Chem Senses 2018; 43:447-450. [PMID: 29982450 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ability to perceive the bitter compound phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) is inherited via a dominant "taster" allele of the TAS2R38 gene, whereas inability is inherited via a recessive "non-taster" allele. This raises a question: Is the non-taster allele functionless, or does it mediate perception of compounds other than PTC? New evidence supports speculation that it is indeed functional. Associations between TAS2R38 mutations and bitter sensitivity to the tropical berry Antidesma bunius are the inverse of those PTC, suggesting that the non-taster allele enables perception to compounds in the fruit.
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22
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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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23
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Rowan NR, Soler ZM, Othieno F, Storck KA, Smith TL, Schlosser RJ. Impact of bitter taste receptor phenotype upon clinical presentation in chronic rhinosinusitis. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 2018; 8:1013-1020. [PMID: 29972727 DOI: 10.1002/alr.22138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic variation of the bitter taste receptor T2R38 has been associated with recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Specific T2R38 polymorphisms, correlating with bitter taste sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), have been identified as an independent risk factor for surgical intervention in CRS patients without polyps; however, the exact role of PTC tasting ability in clinical practice remains unknown. In this investigation we characterize PTC taste sensitivity in a tertiary care rhinology practice with pertinent clinical measures of disease and quality of life (QOL). METHODS Adult CRS patients were prospectively assessed for their ability to taste PTC and categorized as nontasters, tasters, or supertasters. Objective taste was assessed with strips for bitter, sweet, sour, and salty, whereas olfactory testing was measured with Sniffin' Sticks. Correlation was performed between PTC tasting ability and patient demographics, endoscopy scores, validated QOL surveys, and both subjective and objective measures of taste and olfaction. RESULTS Sixty-seven patients were enrolled. Fifty-two percent were identified as nontasters, 34% as tasters, and 13% as supertasters. Nontasters were more likely to be non-Hispanic (p = 0.018), white (p = 0.027), without nasal polyposis (p = 0.004), and nonasthmatics (p = 0.019). There were no other statistical differences in patients' demographics, QOL measures, and subjective or objective olfactory and taste scores when compared with patients' oral PTC-sensing ability. CONCLUSION Oral PTC-sensing ability may serve as a convenient marker of increased disease severity in white CRS patients without polyps and vary among regional populations. PTC tasting ability appears to provide unique phenotypic information not obtained using other subjective or objective measures of smell and taste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Rowan
- Division of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Zachary M Soler
- Division of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Florence Othieno
- Division of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Kristina A Storck
- Division of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Timothy L Smith
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Rhinology and Sinus/Skull Base Surgery, Portland, OR
| | - Rodney J Schlosser
- Division of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.,Department of Surgery, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC
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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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Leite ICR, Dos Santos Júnior JC, de Sousa CCS, Lima AV, Miranda-Vilela AL. Recognition of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) in taste test is related to blood group B phenotype, females, and risk of developing food allergy: a cross-sectional Brazilian-based study. Nutr Res 2018; 52:22-38. [PMID: 29764625 DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Anti-nutritional factors, including hemagglutinins, are natural substances that reduce nutritional bioavailability and/or generate adverse physiological effects. Most are bitter toxic compounds, but present chemo-protective properties at low concentrations. Responses to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) allow for an evaluation of humans' perception of bitter taste, a perception that has evolutionary advantages. Therefore, we hypothesized that relationships between food preference, dietary exposures and disease risk could reflect possible associations not only with the recognition threshold for the bitter taste of PTC, but also with ABO/Rh blood group phenotypes. To test this hypothesis, 375 volunteers of both genders, aged 16-49 years, were recruited. Data were obtained from laboratory tests and questionnaires. PTC test followed literature; blood typing used commercially available sera. Allele frequencies calculated from phenotypes were: T=0.51, t=0.49 (PTC); IA=0.22, IB=0.08, i=0.70 (ABO); D=0.57, d=0.43 (Rh). Associations with the recognition threshold for bitter taste were found for blood group B, females, and risk of developing food allergy for bitter taste at PTC dilution 1 (the highest concentration) (OR=3.862; 95%CI=1.387-10.756; p=0.016); for each more diluted PTC solution, the chance of food allergy fell 25.2% (95%CI = 0.764-0.836), while for each more concentrated solution the chance of food allergy increased 20.1% (p=0.000). There were also nominally significant differences among PTC tasting, ABO/Rh, genders and age-groups in relation to food preferences. Results demonstrated that the ability to recognize PTC in taste test is related to blood group B, females, and risk of developing food allergy, thus confirming the research hypothesis, and presenting original and important associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isac César Roldão Leite
- Faculdade de Medicina, Faculdades Integradas da União Educacional do Planalto Central (Faciplac), Campus Gama, DF, Brazil
| | - José Carlos Dos Santos Júnior
- Faculdade de Medicina, Faculdades Integradas da União Educacional do Planalto Central (Faciplac), Campus Gama, DF, Brazil
| | - Cinthya Clara Silva de Sousa
- Faculdade de Medicina, Faculdades Integradas da União Educacional do Planalto Central (Faciplac), Campus Gama, DF, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Luisa Miranda-Vilela
- Departamento de Genética e Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.
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Factors Influencing the Phenotypic Characterization of the Oral Marker, PROP. Nutrients 2017; 9:nu9121275. [PMID: 29168731 PMCID: PMC5748726 DOI: 10.3390/nu9121275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last several decades, the genetic ability to taste the bitter compound, 6-n-propyltiouracil (PROP) has attracted considerable attention as a model for understanding individual differences in taste perception, and as an oral marker for food preferences and eating behavior that ultimately impacts nutritional status and health. However, some studies do not support this role. This review describes common factors that can influence the characterization of this phenotype including: (1) changes in taste sensitivity with increasing age; (2) gender differences in taste perception; and (3) effects of smoking and obesity. We suggest that attention to these factors during PROP screening could strengthen the associations between this phenotype and a variety of health outcomes ranging from variation in body composition to oral health and cancer risk.
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Skoglund P, Thompson JC, Prendergast ME, Mittnik A, Sirak K, Hajdinjak M, Salie T, Rohland N, Mallick S, Peltzer A, Heinze A, Olalde I, Ferry M, Harney E, Michel M, Stewardson K, Cerezo-Román JI, Chiumia C, Crowther A, Gomani-Chindebvu E, Gidna AO, Grillo KM, Helenius IT, Hellenthal G, Helm R, Horton M, López S, Mabulla AZP, Parkington J, Shipton C, Thomas MG, Tibesasa R, Welling M, Hayes VM, Kennett DJ, Ramesar R, Meyer M, Pääbo S, Patterson N, Morris AG, Boivin N, Pinhasi R, Krause J, Reich D. Reconstructing Prehistoric African Population Structure. Cell 2017; 171:59-71.e21. [PMID: 28938123 PMCID: PMC5679310 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.08.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We assembled genome-wide data from 16 prehistoric Africans. We show that the anciently divergent lineage that comprises the primary ancestry of the southern African San had a wider distribution in the past, contributing approximately two-thirds of the ancestry of Malawi hunter-gatherers ∼8,100-2,500 years ago and approximately one-third of the ancestry of Tanzanian hunter-gatherers ∼1,400 years ago. We document how the spread of farmers from western Africa involved complete replacement of local hunter-gatherers in some regions, and we track the spread of herders by showing that the population of a ∼3,100-year-old pastoralist from Tanzania contributed ancestry to people from northeastern to southern Africa, including a ∼1,200-year-old southern African pastoralist. The deepest diversifications of African lineages were complex, involving either repeated gene flow among geographically disparate groups or a lineage more deeply diverging than that of the San contributing more to some western African populations than to others. We finally leverage ancient genomes to document episodes of natural selection in southern African populations. PAPERCLIP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pontus Skoglund
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | | | - Mary E Prendergast
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Alissa Mittnik
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany; Institute for Archeological Sciences, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen 72070, Germany
| | - Kendra Sirak
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Mateja Hajdinjak
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Tasneem Salie
- Division of Human Genetics, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Nadin Rohland
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Swapan Mallick
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alexander Peltzer
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany; Integrative Transcriptomics, Centre for Bioinformatics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
| | - Anja Heinze
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Iñigo Olalde
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matthew Ferry
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eadaoin Harney
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Megan Michel
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kristin Stewardson
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jessica I Cerezo-Román
- Department of Geography and Anthropology, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, CA 91768, USA
| | - Chrissy Chiumia
- Malawi Department of Museums and Monuments, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
| | - Alison Crowther
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany; School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | | | | - Katherine M Grillo
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA
| | - I Taneli Helenius
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Garrett Hellenthal
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Richard Helm
- Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury CT1 2LU, UK
| | - Mark Horton
- Department Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UU, UK
| | - Saioa López
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - John Parkington
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | - Ceri Shipton
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge CB2 3ER, UK; British Institute in Eastern Africa, Nairobi 30710, Kenya
| | - Mark G Thomas
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ruth Tibesasa
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0083, South Africa
| | - Menno Welling
- African Studies Centre Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RB, Netherlands; African Heritage Ltd, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Vanessa M Hayes
- Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia; School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Gezina 0031, South Africa
| | - Douglas J Kennett
- Department of Anthropology and Institutes for Energy and the Environment, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Raj Ramesar
- Division of Human Genetics, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Matthias Meyer
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Nick Patterson
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alan G Morris
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | - Nicole Boivin
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Ron Pinhasi
- School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland; Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Krause
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany; Institute for Archeological Sciences, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen 72070, Germany
| | - David Reich
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Perna S, Riva A, Nicosanti G, Carrai M, Barale R, Vigo B, Allegrini P, Rondanelli M. Association of the bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38 (polymorphism RS713598) with sensory responsiveness, food preferences, biochemical parameters and body-composition markers. A cross-sectional study in Italy. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2017; 69:245-252. [DOI: 10.1080/09637486.2017.1353954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Perna
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Section of Human Nutrition, Endocrinology and Nutrition Unit, Azienda di Servizi alla Persona, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Giada Nicosanti
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Section of Human Nutrition, Endocrinology and Nutrition Unit, Azienda di Servizi alla Persona, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maura Carrai
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Beatrice Vigo
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Section of Human Nutrition, Endocrinology and Nutrition Unit, Azienda di Servizi alla Persona, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Mariangela Rondanelli
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Section of Human Nutrition, Endocrinology and Nutrition Unit, Azienda di Servizi alla Persona, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Risso DS, Giuliani C, Antinucci M, Morini G, Garagnani P, Tofanelli S, Luiselli D. A bio-cultural approach to the study of food choice: The contribution of taste genetics, population and culture. Appetite 2017; 114:240-247. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Genetic variation in bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38, PROP taster status and their association with body mass index and food preferences in Indian population. Gene 2017; 627:363-368. [PMID: 28652185 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.06.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphisms in bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38 alter the ability to sense the intensity of bitterness of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). Genetic variation in sensitivity towards PTC and PROP may affect food preferences and susceptibility to certain diseases. This is the first study aimed at investigating frequency and distribution of TAS2R38 haplotypes in an Indian cohort. Additionally, we studied the association of TAS2R38 and PROP taster status with BMI and food preference. Three hundred and ninety three healthy adults who were 19-55years of age were selected as a convenience sample from 4 geographical regions of India. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TAS2R38 (rs713598, s1726866 and rs10246939) were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The prevalence of PAV/PAV diplotype was 9.9% and that of AVI/AVI diplotype was 43.76% among this Indian population. PROP status was determined on the basis of its threshold concentration of detecting bitterness, as evaluated by one-solution test. The PROP status revealed 25.95% supertasters, 32.06% medium tasters and 41.98% non-tasters (NT). BMI neither significantly (p>0.05) correlated with TAS2R38 genotypes nor with PROP taster status. Food preferences did not significantly (p>0.05) correlate with TAS2R38 diplotypes or PROP phenotypes.
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Lipchock SV, Spielman AI, Mennella JA, Mansfield CJ, Hwang LD, Douglas JE, Reed DR. Caffeine Bitterness is Related to Daily Caffeine Intake and Bitter Receptor mRNA Abundance in Human Taste Tissue. Perception 2017; 46:245-256. [PMID: 28118781 DOI: 10.1177/0301006616686098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We investigated whether the abundance of bitter receptor mRNA expression from human taste papillae is related to an individual's perceptual ratings of bitter intensity and habitual intake of bitter drinks. Ratings of the bitterness of caffeine and quinine and three other bitter stimuli (urea, propylthiouracil, and denatonium benzoate) were compared with relative taste papilla mRNA abundance of bitter receptors that respond to the corresponding bitter stimuli in cell-based assays ( TAS2R4, TAS2R10, TAS2R38, TAS2R43, and TAS2R46). We calculated caffeine and quinine intake from a food frequency questionnaire. The bitterness of caffeine was related to the abundance of the combined mRNA expression of these known receptors, r = 0.47, p = .05, and self-reported daily caffeine intake, t(18) = 2.78, p = .012. The results of linear modeling indicated that 47% of the variance among subjects in the rating of caffeine bitterness was accounted for by these two factors (habitual caffeine intake and taste receptor mRNA abundance). We observed no such relationships for quinine but consumption of its primary dietary form (tonic water) was uncommon. Overall, diet and TAS2R gene expression in taste papillae are related to individual differences in caffeine perception.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew I Spielman
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, College of Dentistry, New York University, NY, USA
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Kawamura S, Melin AD. Evolution of Genes for Color Vision and the Chemical Senses in Primates. EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN GENOME I 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-4-431-56603-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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Beltrame MH, Rubel MA, Tishkoff SA. Inferences of African evolutionary history from genomic data. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2016; 41:159-166. [PMID: 27810637 PMCID: PMC5161638 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Africa is the origin of anatomically modern humans and a continent of linguistic, cultural, environmental, phenotypic, and genetic diversity. However, African populations remain underrepresented in genetic studies, which have largely focused on individuals with European and Asian ancestry. The expansion of high-throughput 'omic' technologies to interrogate multiple tissue types across many biomolecules-DNA, proteins, epigenetic modifications, metabolites, and others-has heralded a new era of investigation into African history. In this review, we summarize how some of these recent advances have been applied to contemporary sub-Saharan African populations to inform studies on human origins and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Holsbach Beltrame
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Meagan A Rubel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sarah A Tishkoff
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Risso DS, Kozlitina J, Sainz E, Gutierrez J, Wooding S, Getachew B, Luiselli D, Berg CJ, Drayna D. Genetic Variation in the TAS2R38 Bitter Taste Receptor and Smoking Behaviors. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164157. [PMID: 27711175 PMCID: PMC5053502 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Common TAS2R38 taste receptor gene variants specify the ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and structurally related compounds. Tobacco smoke contains a complex mixture of chemical substances of varying structure and functionality, some of which activate different taste receptors. Accordingly, it has been suggested that non-taster individuals may be more likely to smoke because of their inability to taste bitter compounds present in tobacco smoke, but results to date have been conflicting. We studied three cohorts: 237 European-Americans from the state of Georgia, 1,353 European-Americans and 2,363 African-Americans from the Dallas Heart Study (DHS), and 4,973 African-Americans from the Dallas Biobank. Tobacco use data was collected and TAS2R38 polymorphisms were genotyped for all participants, and PTC taste sensitivity was assessed in the Georgia population. In the Georgia group, PTC tasters were less common among those who smoke: 71.5% of smokers were PTC tasters while 82.5% of non-smokers were PTC tasters (P = 0.03). The frequency of the TAS2R38 PAV taster haplotype showed a trend toward being lower in smokers (38.4%) than in non-smokers (43.1%), although this was not statistically significant (P = 0.31). In the DHS European-Americans, the taster haplotype was less common in smokers (37.0% vs. 44.0% in non-smokers, P = 0.003), and conversely the frequency of the non-taster haplotype was more common in smokers (58.7% vs. 51.5% in non-smokers, P = 0.002). No difference in the frequency of these haplotypes was observed in African Americans in either the Dallas Heart Study or the Dallas Biobank. We conclude that TAS2R38 haplotypes are associated with smoking status in European-Americans but not in African-American populations. PTC taster status may play a role in protecting individuals from cigarette smoking in specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide S. Risso
- Laboratory of Communication Disorders, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Julia Kozlitina
- McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Eduardo Sainz
- Laboratory of Communication Disorders, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Joanne Gutierrez
- Laboratory of Communication Disorders, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stephen Wooding
- Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California Merced, Merced, United States of America
| | - Betelihem Getachew
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Donata Luiselli
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Carla J. Berg
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Dennis Drayna
- Laboratory of Communication Disorders, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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Roudnitzky N, Risso D, Drayna D, Behrens M, Meyerhof W, Wooding SP. Copy Number Variation in TAS2R Bitter Taste Receptor Genes: Structure, Origin, and Population Genetics. Chem Senses 2016; 41:649-59. [PMID: 27340135 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjw067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bitter taste receptor genes (TAS2Rs) harbor extensive diversity, which is broadly distributed across human populations and strongly associated with taste response phenotypes. The majority of TAS2R variation is composed of single-nucleotide polymorphisms. However, 2 closely positioned loci at 12p13, TAS2R43 and -45, harbor high-frequency deletion (Δ) alleles in which genomic segments are absent, resulting in copy number variation (CNV). To resolve their chromosomal structure and organization, we generated maps using long-range contig alignments and local sequencing across the TAS2R43-45 region. These revealed that the deletion alleles (43Δ and 45Δ) are 37.8 and 32.2kb in length, respectively and span the complete coding region of each gene (~1kb) along with extensive up- and downstream flanking sequence, producing separate CNVs at the 2 loci. Comparisons with a chimpanzee genome, which contained intact homologs of TAS2R43, -45, and nearby TAS2Rs, indicated that the deletions evolved recently, through unequal recombination in a cluster of closely related loci. Population genetic analyses in 946 subjects from 52 worldwide populations revealed that copy number ranged from 0 to 2 at both TAS2R43 and TAS2R45, with 43Δ and 45Δ occurring at high global frequencies (0.33 and 0.18). Estimated recombination rates between the loci were low (ρ = 2.7×10(-4); r = 6.6×10(-9)) and linkage disequilibrium was high (D' = 1.0), consistent with their adjacent genomic positioning and recent origin. Geographic variation pointed to an African origin for the deletions. However, no signatures of natural selection were found in population structure or integrated haplotype scores spanning the region, suggesting that patterns of diversity at TAS2R43 and -45 are primarily due to genetic drift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Roudnitzky
- Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Davide Risso
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA and
| | - Dennis Drayna
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA and
| | - Maik Behrens
- Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Meyerhof
- Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Stephen P Wooding
- Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA
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Hoffman HJ, Rawal S, Li CM, Duffy VB. New chemosensory component in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES): first-year results for measured olfactory dysfunction. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2016; 17:221-40. [PMID: 27287364 PMCID: PMC5033684 DOI: 10.1007/s11154-016-9364-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The U.S. NHANES included chemosensory assessments in the 2011-2014 protocol. We provide an overview of this protocol and 2012 olfactory exam findings. Of the 1818 NHANES participants aged ≥40 years, 1281 (70.5 %) completed the exam; non-participation mostly was due to time constraints. Health technicians administered an 8-item, forced-choice, odor identification task scored as normosmic (6-8 odors identified correctly) versus olfactory dysfunction, including hyposmic (4-5 correct) and anosmic/severe hyposmic (0-3 correct). Interviewers recorded self-reported smell alterations (during past year, since age 25, phantosmia), histories of sinonasal problems, xerostomia, dental extractions, head or facial trauma, and chemosensory-related treatment and changes in quality of life. Olfactory dysfunction was found in 12.4 % (13.3 million adults; 55 % males/45 % females) including 3.2 % anosmic/severe hyposmic (3.4 million; 74 % males/26 % females). Selected age-specific prevalences were 4.2 % (40-49 years), 12.7 % (60-69 years), and 39.4 % (80+ years). Among adults ≥70 years, misidentification rates for warning odors were 20.3 % for smoke and 31.3 % for natural gas. The highest sensitivity (correctly identifying dysfunction) and specificity (correctly identifying normosmia) of self-reported olfactory alteration was among anosmics/severe hyposmics (54.4 % and 78.1 %, respectively). In age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression analysis, risk factors of olfactory dysfunction were racial/ethnic minority, income-to-poverty ratio ≤ 1.1, education <high school, and heavy drinking. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduced risk of impairment. Olfactory dysfunction is prevalent, particularly among older adults. Inexpensive, brief odor identification tests coupled with questions (smell problems past year, since age 25, phantosmia) could screen for marked dysfunction. Healthcare providers should be prepared to offer education on non-olfactory avoidance of hazardous events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard J Hoffman
- Epidemiology and Statistics Program, Division of Scientific Programs, National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shristi Rawal
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 358 Mansfield Road, Unit 1101, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Chuan-Ming Li
- Epidemiology and Statistics Program, Division of Scientific Programs, National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Valerie B Duffy
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 358 Mansfield Road, Unit 1101, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
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Global diversity in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor: revisiting a classic evolutionary PROPosal. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25506. [PMID: 27138342 PMCID: PMC4853779 DOI: 10.1038/srep25506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) is a polymorphic trait mediated by the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene. It has long been hypothesized that global genetic diversity at this locus evolved under pervasive pressures from balancing natural selection. However, recent high-resolution population genetic studies of TAS2Rs suggest that demographic events have played a critical role in the evolution of these genes. We here utilized the largest TAS2R38 database yet analyzed, consisting of 5,589 individuals from 105 populations, to examine natural selection, haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium to estimate the effects of both selection and demography on contemporary patterns of variation at this locus. We found signs of an ancient balancing selection acting on this gene but no post Out-Of-Africa departures from neutrality, implying that the current observed patterns of variation can be predominantly explained by demographic, rather than selective events. In addition, we found signatures of ancient selective forces acting on different African TAS2R38 haplotypes. Collectively our results provide evidence for a relaxation of recent selective forces acting on this gene and a revised hypothesis for the origins of the present-day worldwide distribution of TAS2R38 haplotypes.
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Eaaswarkhanth M, Pavlidis P, Gokcumen O. Geographic distribution and adaptive significance of genomic structural variants: an anthropological genetics perspective. Hum Biol 2016; 86:260-75. [PMID: 25959693 DOI: 10.13110/humanbiology.86.4.0260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Anthropological geneticists have successfully used single-nucleotide and short tandem repeat variations across human genomes to reconstruct human history. These markers have also been used extensively to identify adaptive and phenotypic variation. The recent advent of high-throughput genomic technologies revealed an overlooked type of genomic variation: structural variants (SVs). In fact, some SVs may contribute to human adaptation in substantial and previously unexplored ways. SVs include deletions, insertions, duplications, inversions, and translocations of genomic segments that vary among individuals from the same species. SVs are much less numerous than single-nucleotide variants but account for at least seven times more variable base pairs than do single-nucleotide variants when two human genomes are compared. Moreover, recent studies have shown that SVs have higher mutation rates than single-nucleotide variants when the affected base pairs are considered, especially in certain parts of the genome. The null hypothesis for the evolution of SVs, as for single-nucleotide variants, is neutrality. Hence, drift is the primary force that shapes the current allelic distribution of most SVs. However, due to their size, a larger proportion of SVs appear to evolve under nonneutral forces (mostly purifying selection) than do single-nucleotide variants. In fact, as exemplified by several groundbreaking studies, SVs contribute to anthropologically relevant phenotypic variation and local adaptation among humans. In this review, we argue that with the advent of affordable genomic technologies, anthropological scrutiny of genomic structural variation emerges as a fertile area of inquiry to better understand human phenotypic variation. To motivate potential studies, we discuss scenarios through which structural variants (SVs) affect phenotypic variation among humans within an anthropological context. We further provide a methodological workflow in which we analyzed 1000 Genomes deletion variants and identified 16 exonic deletions that are specific to the African continent. We analyzed two of these deletion variants affecting the keratin-associated protein (KAP) cluster in a locus-specific manner. Our analysis revealed that these deletions may indeed affect phenotype and likely evolved under geography-specific positive selection. We outline all the major software and data sets for these analyses and provide the basic R and Perl codes we used for this example workflow analysis. Overall, we hope that this review will encourage and facilitate incorporation of genomic structural variation in anthropological research programs.
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Keller KL, Adise S. Variation in the Ability to Taste Bitter Thiourea Compounds: Implications for Food Acceptance, Dietary Intake, and Obesity Risk in Children. Annu Rev Nutr 2016; 36:157-82. [PMID: 27070900 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071715-050916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ability to taste bitter thiourea compounds, such as phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), is inherited. Polymorphisms in the bitter-taste receptor TAS2R38 explain the majority of phenotypic variation in the PROP phenotype. It has been hypothesized that the PROP phenotype is a marker for perception of a variety of chemosensory experiences. In this review, we discuss studies that have investigated the relationship between bitter-taste response and dietary behaviors and chronic health in children. Investigators have hypothesized that children who are PROP tasters have lower liking and consumption of bitter foods, such as cruciferous vegetables. Additionally, several studies suggest that children who are unable to taste PROP (i.e., nontasters) like and consume more dietary fat and are prone to obesity. The relationship between the PROP phenotype and obesity is influenced by multiple confounders, including sex, food access, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Future studies that adjust for these variables are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen L Keller
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802; .,Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Shana Adise
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802;
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Wölfle U, Elsholz FA, Kersten A, Haarhaus B, Schumacher U, Schempp CM. Expression and Functional Activity of the Human Bitter Taste Receptor TAS2R38 in Human Placental Tissues and JEG-3 Cells. Molecules 2016; 21:306. [PMID: 26950109 PMCID: PMC6273027 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21030306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are expressed in mucous epithelial cells of the tongue but also outside the gustatory system in epithelial cells of the colon, stomach and bladder, in the upper respiratory tract, in the cornified squamous epithelium of the skin as well as in airway smooth muscle cells, in the testis and in the brain. In the present work we addressed the question if bitter taste receptors might also be expressed in other epithelial tissues as well. By staining a tissue microarray with 45 tissue spots from healthy human donors with an antibody directed against the best characterized bitter taste receptor TAS2R38, we observed an unexpected strong TAS2R38 expression in the amniotic epithelium, syncytiotrophoblast and decidua cells of the human placenta. To analyze the functionality we first determined the TAS2R38 expression in the placental cell line JEG-3. Stimulation of these cells with diphenidol, a clinically used antiemetic agent that binds TAS2Rs including TAS2R38, demonstrated the functionality of the TAS2Rs by inducing calcium influx. Restriction enzyme based detection of the TAS2R38 gene allele identified JEG-3 cells as PTC (phenylthiocarbamide)-taster cell line. Calcium influx induced by PTC in JEG-3 cells could be inhibited with the recently described TAS2R38 inhibitor probenecid and proved the specificity of the TAS2R38 activation. The expression of TAS2R38 in human placental tissues points to further new functions and hitherto unknown endogenous ligands of TAS2Rs far beyond bitter tasting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Wölfle
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Freiburg 79104, Germany.
| | - Floriana A Elsholz
- Department of Pharmacology, Biocenter, Goethe-University, Frankfurt 60438, Germany.
| | - Astrid Kersten
- Dermatohistological Laboratory Dr.Laaff, Freiburg 79111, Germany.
| | - Birgit Haarhaus
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Freiburg 79104, Germany.
| | - Udo Schumacher
- Department of Anatomy and Experimental Morphology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg 20246, Germany.
| | - Christoph M Schempp
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Freiburg 79104, Germany.
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Fujikura K. Premature termination codons in modern human genomes. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22468. [PMID: 26932450 PMCID: PMC4773809 DOI: 10.1038/srep22468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The considerable range of genetic variation in human populations may partly reflect distinctive processes of adaptation to variable environmental conditions. However, the adaptive genomic signatures remain to be completely elucidated. This research explores candidate loci under selection at the population level by characterizing recently arisen premature termination codons (PTCs), some of which indicate a human knockout. From a total of 7595 participants from two population exome projects, 246 PTCs were found where natural selection has resulted in new alleles with a high frequency (from 1% to 96%) of derived alleles and various levels of population differentiation (FST = 0.00139–0.626). The PTC genes formed protein and regulatory networks limited to 15 biological processes or gene families, of which seven categories were previously unreported. PTC mutations have a strong tendency to be introduced into members of the same gene family, even during modern human evolution, although the exact nature of the selection is not fully known. The findings here suggest the ongoing evolutionary plasticity of modern humans at the genetic level and also partly provide insights into common human knockouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Fujikura
- Kobe University School of Medicine, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
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42
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol intake has been associated with the bitter taste receptor T2R38. TAS2R38 gene expresses two common haplotypes: PAV and AVI. It has been reported that AVI homozygotes consume more alcohol than heterozygotes and PAV homozygotes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the TAS2R38 haplotypes among Mexican-Mestizo population and to analyze its association with alcohol intake. MATERIAL AND METHODS In a cross-sectional study, a total of 375 unrelated Mestizo individuals were genotyped for TAS2R38 polymorphisms (A49P, V262A and I296V) by a Real-Time PCR System (TaqMan). Haplotype frequencies were calculated. Association of TAS2R38 haplotypes with alcohol intake was estimated in drinkers (DRS) and nondrinkers (NDRS). RESULTS Two haplotypes accounted for over 96% of all haplotypes(AVV, 60%, and PAI, 36.5%). The frequency of AVV homozygotes was significantly higher in DRS than NDRS(47.2 vs. 32.2%, respectively; p < 0.05). Additionally, the AVV/AVV genotype was associated with alcohol intake when compared with heterozygotes and PAI homozygotes (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.13-2.84, p < 0.05 and OR = 2.23, 95% CI 1.11-4.48; p < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, two TAS2R38 haplotypes(AVV and PAI) prevailed in Mexican-Mestizo population. The novel AVV haplotype was associated with alcohol intake. The high prevalence of this allelic profile in our population could help to explain, at least in part, the preference for alcohol among the Mexicans.
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Fujikura K. Multiple loss-of-function variants of taste receptors in modern humans. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12349. [PMID: 26307445 PMCID: PMC4549710 DOI: 10.1038/srep12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in the knowledge of interindividual taste differences, the underlying genetic backgrounds have remained to be fully elucidated. Much of the taste variation among different mammalian species can be explained by pseudogenization of taste receptors. Here I investigated whether the most recent disruptions of taste receptor genes segregate with their intact forms in modern humans by analyzing 14 ethnically diverse populations. The results revealed an unprecedented prevalence of 25 segregating loss-of-function (LoF) taste receptor variants, identifying one of the most pronounced cases of functional population diversity in the human genome. LoF variant frequency in taste receptors (2.10%) was considerably higher than the overall LoF frequency in human genome (0.16%). In particular, molecular evolutionary rates of candidate sour (14.7%) and bitter (1.8%) receptors were far higher in humans than those of sweet (0.02%), salty (0.05%), and umami (0.17%) receptors compared with other carnivorous mammals, although not all of the taste receptors were identified. Many LoF variants are population-specific, some of which arose even after population differentiation, not before divergence of the modern and archaic human. I conclude that modern humans might have been losing some sour and bitter receptor genes because of high-frequency LoF variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Fujikura
- Kobe University School of Medicine, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
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Suzuki-Hashido N, Hayakawa T, Matsui A, Go Y, Ishimaru Y, Misaka T, Abe K, Hirai H, Satta Y, Imai H. Rapid Expansion of Phenylthiocarbamide Non-Tasters among Japanese Macaques. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26201026 PMCID: PMC4511751 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bitter taste receptors (TAS2R proteins) allow mammals to detect and avoid ingestion of toxins in food. Thus, TAS2Rs play an important role in food choice and are subject to complex natural selection pressures. In our previous study, we examined nucleotide variation in TAS2R38, a gene expressing bitter taste receptor for phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), in 333 Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) from 9 local populations in Japan. We identified a PTC “non-taster” TAS2R38 allele in Japanese macaques that was caused by a loss of the start codon. This PTC non-taster allele was only found in a limited local population (the Kii area), at a frequency of 29%. In this study, we confirmed that this allele was present in only the Kii population by analyzing an additional 264 individuals from eight new populations. Using cellular and behavioral experiments, we found that this allele lost its receptor function for perceiving PTC. The nucleotide sequences of the allele including flanking regions (of about 10 kb) from 23 chromosomes were identical, suggesting that a non-taster allele arose and expanded in the Kii population during the last 13,000 years. Genetic analyses of non-coding regions in Kii individuals and neighboring populations indicated that the high allele frequency in the Kii population could not be explained by demographic history, suggesting that positive selection resulted in a rapid increase in PTC non-tasters in the Kii population. The loss-of-function that occurred at the TAS2R38 locus presumably provided a fitness advantage to Japanese macaques in the Kii population. Because TAS2R38 ligands are often found in plants, this functional change in fitness is perhaps related to feeding habit specificity. These findings should provide valuable insights for elucidating adaptive evolutionary changes with respect to various environments in wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nami Suzuki-Hashido
- Molecular Biology Section, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Hayakawa
- Molecular Biology Section, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Matsui
- Molecular Biology Section, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Go
- Molecular Biology Section, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yoshiro Ishimaru
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takumi Misaka
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Abe
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Hirai
- Molecular Biology Section, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yoko Satta
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
- * E-mail: (YS); (HI)
| | - Hiroo Imai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
- * E-mail: (YS); (HI)
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Filiptsova O, Timoshyna I, Kobets YN, Kobets M, Burlaka I, Hurko I. The population structure of Ukraine in relation to the phenylthiocarbamide sensitivity. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmhg.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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LaBonte ML, Beers MA. An alternative laboratory designed to address ethical concerns associated with traditional TAS2R38 student genotyping. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION : A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 43:100-109. [PMID: 25704857 DOI: 10.1002/bmb.20846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The TAS2R38 alleles that code for the PAV/AVI T2R38 proteins have long been viewed as benign taste receptor variants. However, recent studies have demonstrated an expanding and medically relevant role for TAS2R38. The AVI variant of T2R38 is associated with an increased risk of both colorectal cancer and Pseudomonas aeruginosa-associated sinus infection and T2R38 variants have been implicated in off-target drug responses. To address ethical concerns associated with continued student TAS2R38 gene testing, we developed an alternative to the traditional laboratory genotyping exercise. Instead of determining their own genotype, introductory level students isolated plasmid DNA containing a section of the human TAS2R38 gene from Escherichia coli. Following PCR-mediated amplification of a section of the TAS2R38 gene spanning the SNP at position 785, students determined their assigned genotype by restriction enzyme digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis. Using the course wide genotype and phenotype data, students found that there was an association between TAS2R38 genotype and the age of persistent P. aeruginosa acquisition in cystic fibrosis "patients." Assessment data demonstrated that students taking part in this new TAS2R38 laboratory activity made clear learning gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L LaBonte
- Department of the History of Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
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Risso D, Tofanelli S, Morini G, Luiselli D, Drayna D. Genetic variation in taste receptor pseudogenes provides evidence for a dynamic role in human evolution. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:198. [PMID: 25216916 PMCID: PMC4172856 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human bitter taste receptors are encoded by a gene family consisting of 25 functional TAS2R loci. In addition, humans carry 11 TAS2R pseudogenes, some of which display evidence for substantial diversification among species, showing lineage-specific loss of function. Since bitter taste is thought to help prevent the intake of toxic substances, diversity at TAS2R genes could reflect the action of natural selection on the ability to recognize some bitter compounds rather than others. Whether species-specific variation in TAS2R pseudogenes is solely the result of genetic drift or whether it may have been influenced by selection due to different feeding behaviors has been an open question. RESULTS In this study, we analyzed patterns of variation at human TAS2R pseudogenes in both African and non-African populations, and compared them to those observable in nonhuman primates and archaic human species. Our results showed a similar worldwide distribution of allelic variation for most of the pseudogenes, with the exception of the TAS2R6P and TAS2R18P loci, both of which presented an unexpected higher frequency of derived alleles outside Africa. At the TAS2R6P locus, two SNPs were found in strong linkage disequilibrium (r2 > 0.9) with variants in the functional TAS2R5 gene, which showed signatures of selection. The human TAS2R18P carried a species-specific stop-codon upstream of four polymorphic insertions in the reading frame. SNPs at this locus showed significant positive values in a number of neutrality statistics, and age estimates indicated that they arose after the homo-chimp divergence. CONCLUSIONS The similar distribution of variation of many human bitter receptor pseudogenes among human populations suggests that they arose from the ancestral forms by a unidirectional loss of function. However we explain the higher frequency of TAS2R6P derived alleles outside Africa as the effect of the balancing selection acting on the closely linked TAS2R5 gene. In contrast, TAS2R18P displayed a more complex history, suggesting an acquired function followed by a recent pseudogenization that predated the divergence of human modern and archaic species, which we hypothesize was associated with adaptions to dietary changes.
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Campbell MC, Ranciaro A, Zinshteyn D, Rawlings-Goss R, Hirbo J, Thompson S, Woldemeskel D, Froment A, Omar SA, Bodo JM, Nyambo T, Belay G, Drayna D, Breslin PA, Tishkoff SA. Limited evidence for adaptive evolution and functional effect of allelic variation at rs702424 in the promoter of the TAS2R16 bitter taste receptor gene in Africa. J Hum Genet 2014; 59:349-52. [PMID: 24785689 PMCID: PMC4075171 DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2014.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bitter taste perception, mediated by receptors encoded by the TAS2R loci, has important roles in human health and nutrition. Prior studies have demonstrated that nonsynonymous variation at site 516 in the coding exon of TAS2R16, a bitter taste receptor gene on chromosome 7, has been subject to positive selection and is strongly correlated with differences in sensitivity to salicin, a bitter anti-inflammatory compound, in human populations. However, a recent study suggested that the derived G-allele at rs702424 in the TAS2R16 promoter has also been the target of recent selection and may have an additional effect on the levels of salicin bitter taste perception. Here, we examined alleles at rs702424 for signatures of selection using Extended Haplotype Homozygosity (EHH) and FST statistics in diverse populations from West Central, Central and East Africa. We also performed a genotype-phenotype analysis of salicin sensitivity in a subset of 135 individuals from East Africa. Based on our data, we did not find evidence for positive selection at rs702424 in African populations, suggesting that nucleotide position 516 is likely the site under selection at TAS2R16. Moreover, we did not detect a significant association between rs702424 alleles and salicin bitter taste recognition, implying that this site does not contribute to salicin phenotypic variance. Overall, this study of African diversity provides further information regarding the genetic architecture and evolutionary history of a biologically-relevant trait in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jibril Hirbo
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
| | | | - Dawit Woldemeskel
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
- Addis Ababa University, Biology Department, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Sabah A. Omar
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Biotechnology Research and Development, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jean-Marie Bodo
- Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Thomas Nyambo
- Department of Biochemistry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Gurja Belay
- Addis Ababa University, Biology Department, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dennis Drayna
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Paul A.S. Breslin
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Sarah A. Tishkoff
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania
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Robino A, Mezzavilla M, Pirastu N, Dognini M, Tepper BJ, Gasparini P. A population-based approach to study the impact of PROP perception on food liking in populations along the Silk Road. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91716. [PMID: 24626196 PMCID: PMC3953580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste is one of the main factors determining food choices. Differences in PROP bitter taste perception have been implicated in individual differences in food preferences and selection. The present study examined associations between, PROP phenotypes, self-reported food liking and TAS2R38 polymorphisms, the major gene implicated in PROP bitterness, in six different populations of the Caucasus and Central Asia, located along the ancient Silk Road. Differences in the distribution of PROP phenotypes across populations were detected, with a higher frequency of super tasters in Tajikistan (31.3%) and Armenia (39.0%) and a higher frequency of non tasters in Georgia (50.9%). While no relationships were observed between PROP phenotypes and food liking using standard statistical tests, we used an approach based on comparison of distance matrices derived from these data. The first matrix compared the food liking ratings of each population to all others pairwise using the Kruskal-Wallis test (at p<0.00063), and the second one compared the distribution of PROP phenotypes across all populations in a similar manner calculating the chi-square statistic as a distance measure. A strong correlation between the two matrices was found (Mantel test: r = 0.67, p-value = 0.03), suggesting that the pattern of food liking across populations was closely related to the distribution of PROP phenotypes. This same relationship was not observed when TAS2R38 genotypes were substituted for PROP phenotypes in this analysis. Our data suggest that a population-based approach utilizing distance matrices is a useful technique for detecting PROP-related differences in food liking and can be applied to other taste phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Robino
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
- University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Massimo Mezzavilla
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
- University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Nicola Pirastu
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
- University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Beverly J. Tepper
- Department of Food Science, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Paolo Gasparini
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
- University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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50
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Keller KL, Olsen A, Cravener TL, Bloom R, Chung WK, Deng L, Lanzano P, Meyermann K. Bitter taste phenotype and body weight predict children's selection of sweet and savory foods at a palatable test-meal. Appetite 2014; 77:113-21. [PMID: 24607656 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies show that children who are sensitive to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) report more frequent intake of sweets and less frequent intake of meats (savory fats) relative to children who are PROP insensitive. Laboratory studies are needed to confirm these findings. In this study, seventy-nine 4- to 6-year-olds from diverse ethnicities attended four laboratory sessions, the last of which included a palatable buffet consisting of savory-fats (e.g. pizza), sweet-fats (e.g. cookies, cakes), and sweets (e.g. juices, candies). PROP phenotype was classified by two methods: 1) a common screening procedure to divide children into tasters and nontasters, and 2) a three-concentration method used to approximate PROP thresholds. Height and weight were measured and saliva was collected for genotyping TAS2R38, a bitter taste receptor related to the PROP phenotype. Data were analyzed by General Linear Model ANOVA with intake from savory fats, sweet-fats, and sweets as dependent variables and PROP status as the independent variable. BMI z-score, sex, age, and ethnicity were included as covariates. Adjusted energy intake from the food group "sweets" at the test-meal was greater for tasters than for nontasters. PROP status did not influence children's adjusted intake of savory-fats, but BMI z-score did. The TAS2R38 genotype did not impact intake at the test-meal. At a palatable buffet, PROP taster children preferentially consumed more sweets than nontaster children, while heavier children consumed more savory fats. These findings may have implications for understanding differences in susceptibility to hyperphagia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen L Keller
- Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University Medical Center, 1090 Amsterdam Avenue 14A, New York, NY 10025, USA.
| | - Annemarie Olsen
- Department of Food Science/Sensory and Consumer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 30, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Terri L Cravener
- Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Rachel Bloom
- Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Wendy K Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Liyong Deng
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Patricia Lanzano
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Karol Meyermann
- New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University Medical Center, 1090 Amsterdam Avenue 14A, New York, NY 10025, USA
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