Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in primate taste receptors

• Project/Area Number: 22770233
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: National Research Institute for Child Health and Development
• Principal Investigator: SUGAWARA Toru 独立行政法人国立成育医療研究センター, 生殖・細胞医療研究部, 研究員 (70553460)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2011
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2011)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2010: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 遺伝子 / 進化 / ゲノム / チンパンジー / ニホンザル / 霊長類 / 苦味受容体 / 幹細胞 / 多型 / 感覚受容体

Research Abstract

Bitter taste is mediated by T2R genes, which belong to the G protein-coupled receptors. We investigated the intraspecies variations of functional T2R genes in chimpanzees and Japanese macaques, and found that they showed high nucleotide diversity along with a large number of amino acid substitutions. These trends result in the occurrence of various divergent alleles of T2Rs within the primate populations and in heterozygous individuals who might have the ability to taste a broader range of substances. In addition, we revealed that phenotypic polymorphism of sensitivity to PTC was caused by the independent mutations of T2R38 in humans, chimpanzees and macaques.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Correlation between nuptial colors and visual sensitivities tuned by opsins leads to species richness in sympatric Lake Victoria cichlid fishes (2012)
  • Author(s): Miyagi R, Terai Y, Aibara M, Sugawara T, Imai H, Tachida H, Mzighani SI, Okitsu T, Wada A, Okada N
  • Journal Title: Mol Biol Evol Volume: 29 Issue: 11 Pages: 3281-96
  • DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mss139
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Investigating cellular identity and manipulating cell fate using induced pluripotent stem cells (2012)
  • Author(s): Sugawara T, Nishino K, Umezawa A, Akutsu H
  • Journal Title: Stem Cell Res Ther Volume: 3(2) Issue: 2 Pages: 8-8
  • DOI: 10.1186/scrt99
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Reverse Evolution in RH1 for adaptation of cichlids to water depth in Lake Tanganyika (2011)
  • Author(s): Nagai, H., Terai, Y., Sugawara, T., Imai, H., Nishihara, H., Hori, M.and Okada, N.
  • Journal Title: Molecular Biology and Evolution Volume: 28(6) Issue: 6 Pages: 1769-1776
  • DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msq344
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Diversification of bitter taste receptor gene family in western chimpanzees (2011)
  • Author(s): Sugawara T, Go Y, Udono T, Morimura N, Tomonaga M, Hirai H, Imai H
  • Journal Title: Mol Biol Evol Volume: 28(2) Issue: 2 Pages: 921-931
  • DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msq279
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Reverse evolution in RH1 for adaptation of cichlids to water depth in Lake Tanganyika. (2011)
  • Author(s): Nagai H, Terai Y, Sugawara T, Imai H, Nishihara H, Hori M, Okada N.
  • Journal Title: Molecular Biology and Evolution Volume: (Epub ahead of print)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Diversification of bitter taste receptor gene family in western chimpanzees. (2011)
  • Author(s): Sugawara T, Go Y, Udono T, Morimura N, Tomonaga M, Hirai H, Imai H.
  • Journal Title: Molecular Biology and Evolution Volume: 28 Pages: 921-931
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Identification of non-taster Japanese macaques for a specific bitter taste (2010)
  • Author(s): Suzuki N, Sugawara T, Matsui A, Go Y, Hirai H, Imai H
  • Journal Title: Primates Volume: 51(4) Issue: 4 Pages: 285-289
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10329-010-0209-3
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Identification of non-taster Japanese macaques for a specific bitter taste. (2010)
  • Author(s): Suzuki N, Sugawara T, Matsui A, Go Y, Hirai H, Imai H.
  • Journal Title: Primates Volume: 51 Pages: 285-289
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 霊長類味覚受容体の進化 (2011)
  • Author(s): 今井啓雄、鈴木南美、早川卓志、菅原亨、松井淳、郷康広、櫻井敬展、石丸喜朗、Lijie Yin, Wenshi Pan, 阿部啓子、三坂巧、平井啓久
  • Organizer: 第89回日本生理学会大会
  • Place of Presentation: 長野県松本市
  • Year and Date: 2011-03-31
• [Presentation] 霊長類味覚受容体の進化 (2011)
  • Author(s): 今井啓雄、鈴木南美、早川卓志、菅原亨、松井淳、郷康広、櫻井敬展、石丸喜朗、Lijie Yin, Wenshi Pan,阿部啓子、三坂巧、平井啓久
  • Organizer: 第89回日本生理学会大会
• [Presentation] DIVERSIFICATION OF BITTER TASTE RECEPTOR GENE FAMILY IN CHIMPANZEES (2010)
  • Author(s): T.Sugawara, Y.Go, T.Udono, N.Morimura, M.Tomonaga, H.Hirai, H.Imai
  • Organizer: International Primatological Society XXIII Congress
  • Place of Presentation: Kyoto
  • Year and Date: 2010-09-13
• [Presentation] Diversification of bitter taste receptor gene family in chimpanzees (2010)
  • Author(s): Sugawara T, Go Y, Udono T, Morimura N, Tomonaga M, Hirai H, Imai H
  • Organizer: International Primatological Society XXIII Congress
  • Place of Presentation: Kyoto
• [Book] Post genome biology of primates focusing on taste perception (2012)
  • Author(s): Tohru Sugawara and Hiroo Imai
  • Publisher: Springer
• [Book] Post-Genome Biology of Primates (Primatology Monographs) (2012)
  • Author(s): Tohru Sugawara, Hiroo Imai
  • Total Pages: 286
  • Publisher: Springer-Verlag