Functional analysis of fat taste system in chickens

• Project/Area Number: 17K08047
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Animal production science
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University (2018-2019); Kyushu University (2017)
• Principal Investigator: Kawabata Fuminori 弘前大学, 農学生命科学部, 准教授 (40633342)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥690,000)
• Keywords: ニワトリ / 味覚 / 油脂 / GPR120 / CD36 / リパーゼ / 脂肪酸 / 嗜好性 / 栄養・飼養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fat is essential nutrition for animals and the preference is very high. In the case of chickens, although fat nutrition is thought to be recognized by taste system, there are many unknown mechanisms. In the present study, we focused on the elucidation of fat taste systems in chickens because the information is useful to make new feedstuffs for chickens.
In the present study, we found that GPR120 responds to some kind of fatty acids. These results suggest that chicken oral tissues have the chemical receptor for fatty acids contained in chicken feeds.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によりニワトリ脂肪酸受容体が感知できる脂肪酸をいくつか同定することができた。また、ニワトリは口の中のリパーゼを使って油脂を脂肪酸に一部分解し、脂肪酸受容体で脂肪酸を受容していると推察された。これらの知見は味覚生理学や飼料学に貢献するのみならず、ニワトリの嗜好性を制御できる新たな飼料作りにも貢献できる可能性があるので、家禽産業に対しても大きな意義があると考えている。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] ジョージア大学(米国)
• [Journal Article] Oral lipase activities and fat-taste receptors for fat-taste sensing in chickens (2018)
  • Author(s): Kawabata Y, Kawabata F*, Nishimura S, Tabata S. (*Corresponding author)
  • Journal Title: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Volume: 495 Issue: 1 Pages: 131-135
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.10.125
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Taste receptors and taste behaviors in chickens. (2019)
  • Author(s): Fuminori Kawabata, Yuko Kawabata, Yuta Yoshida, Hikaru Omori, Momoko Higashida, Bapon Dey, Ruojun Liang, Kana Murayama, Yui Hayase, Masashi Araki, Shotaro Nishimura, Liu Hong-Xiang, Shoji Tabata.
  • Organizer: THE 48th NAITO CONFERENCE on Integrated Sensory Sciences-Pain, Itch, Smell and Taste.
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Taste systems in chickens (2018)
  • Author(s): Fuminori Kawabata, Yuko Kawabata, Yuta Yoshida, Bapon Dey, Nozomi Hirose, Ryo Sawamura, Hikaru Omori, Momoko Higashida, Shotaro Nishimura, Shoji Tabata
  • Organizer: English Poster Session “Meet the Professor”, 121th Annual meeting of Japan Poultry Science Association
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ニワトリはどのように味を感じているのか？～ニワトリの味覚機能の理解と畜産への応用～ [ (2018)
  • Author(s): 川端二功
  • Organizer: 九州大学関西同窓会 2018年公開講座
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Oral lipase activities and the expressions of fat taste receptors in chickens (2017)
  • Author(s): Kawabata Y, Kawabata F, Nishimura S, Shigemura N, Tabata S.
  • Organizer: The 16th International Symposium on Molecular and Neural Mechanisms of Taste and Olfactory Perception
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ニワトリ口腔組織における油脂の化学受容機構 (2017)
  • Author(s): 川端由子, 川端二功, 西村正太郎, 重村憲徳, 田畑正志
  • Organizer: 日本味と匂学会第51回大会