A study on the molecular mechanisms of bitter taste sense in livestock animals

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14957
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 42010:Animal production science-related
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: YOSHIDA YUTA 茨城大学, 農学部, 助教 (00875023)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 苦味受容体 / ウズラ / ニワトリ / ヨーロッパウズラ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we compared the bitter taste sensing profiles of chickens and quails. Behavioral analysis revealed that chickens showed the behavioral aversion to multiple bitter substances, while quails didn’t show any aversion to the bitter substances, such as quinine. Quails have taste bud-like organs in their oral cavity, and one of the bitter taste receptor genes, T2R7 was primarily expressed in their oral cavity. Compared to the chickens, the amino acid residues related to the binding of bitter substances in the bitter taste receptor T2R7 were largely mutated in the quails. Cell-based assay revealed that the responsiveness of the quail T2R7 was lower compared to the chicken T2R7. These results suggested that low sensitivity to bitter taste substances in the quails partly related to the low responsiveness of the quail T2R7.

Free Research Field

動物生体機構学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

食品残渣を活用したエコフィードにおいて、主に植物由来の飼料材料には苦味物質などの忌避成分が含まれる場合がある。本研究で分子基盤の一端を明らかにしたウズラが苦味を忌避しない性質を利用して、苦味を有する未活用の飼料材料の積極的活用が期待できる。渡りを行うヨーロッパウズラの肉には毒があり、毒を持つ種子の摂取が原因とされる。他の動物が食べない苦い毒物を食べられることが進化の過程で生存に有利に働いたのかもしれない。本研究はキジ目の鳥類の進化生態学にも新たな洞察を与える可能性がある。