Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
06:45
A Caenorhabditis elegans Nutritional-status Based Copper Aversion Assay
Published on: July 26, 2017
Do polymorphisms in chemosensory genes matter for human ingestive behavior?
John E Hayes1, Emma L Feeney, Alissa L Allen
1Sensory Evaluation Center, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802 United States ; Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802 United States.
Food Quality and Preference
|July 24, 2013
Summary
Genetic variations in taste and smell receptors significantly influence individual food preferences and health. Understanding these chemosensory differences, beyond just bitterness, is key to personalized nutrition.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Neurobiology of Chemosensation
- Human Ingestive Behavior
- Sensory Perception and Genetics
Background:
- Chemosensory variations, influenced by genetics, are crucial for detecting food and avoiding toxins.
- Individual differences in chemosensation are increasingly recognized as complex, impacting food preferences and health.
- Previous assumptions about the direct link between genetic polymorphisms and human food choice require nuanced understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the complexity of chemosensory variations and their impact on human ingestive behavior.
- To review current knowledge on genetic polymorphisms in taste and smell receptors.
- To discuss the implications of these genetic variations for understanding food choices and health.
Main Methods:
- Review of basic research in chemoreceptor genetics and neurobiology.
- Analysis of evidence linking specific gene polymorphisms (e.g., TAS2R38, TAS2R16, TAS2R19, TAS2R31) to sensory perception.
- Discussion of genetic variations affecting bitter, odor, umami, and sweet taste perception.
Main Results:
- Allelic variation in TAS2R38 influences the perception of bitterness in certain compounds and associates with alcohol and vegetable intake.
- Polymorphisms in other bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) like TAS2R16, TAS2R19, and TAS2R31 are linked to the perception of various bitter compounds and ingestive behaviors.
- Genetic variations extend beyond bitterness to include odor perception (e.g., boar taint, cilantro) and other taste modalities (umami, sweet).
Conclusions:
- Chemosensory genetic variations are diverse and can influence food and beverage preferences independently.
- A one-size-fits-all approach to understanding bitterness and its effects on diet is inadequate.
- Understanding individual genetic differences in chemosensation is critical for personalized nutrition and health strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Taste Buds and Receptors
Gustation, or the sense of taste, is intrinsically linked to the anatomical structures located on the tongue. This organ's surface, along with the entirety of the oral cavity, is adorned with stratified squamous epithelium. Evident on the tongue are elevated structures known as papillae (singular = papilla), which house the mechanisms for the transduction of gustatory stimuli. Four distinct types of papillae exist, each identified by their unique morphological attributes: the circumvallate,...
01:28Human Genetics
Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
01:43Gustation
Gustation is a chemical sense that, along with olfaction (smell), contributes to our perception of taste. It starts with the activation of receptors by chemical compounds (tastants) dissolved in the saliva. The saliva and filiform papillae on the tongue distribute the tastants and increase their exposure to the taste receptors.
01:27Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants
The human genome is over 99.9% identical between individuals, yet genetic differences exist at millions of bases. The human genome contains approximately 3 million variant positions per individual, many of which are heterozygous, contributing to genetic diversity and individual traits. Genetic variations include single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions, deletions, and copy number variations (CNVs).SNPs, the most common variation, involve single-base changes in DNA. These can be...
01:24The Physiology of Taste
The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the diffusion of...
02:32Position-effect Variegation
In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.