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In a groundbreaking revelation, a collaborative research team led by Associate Professor Hidenori Nishihara from Kindai University and Professor Yoshiro Ishimaru from Meiji University, Japan, has identified five previously unknown groups within the TAS1R taste receptor family. Their exhaustive genome-wide survey, encompassing major fish groups and jawed vertebrates, has unlocked unprecedented insights into taste perception’s evolutionary roots.
The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on December 13, 2023, involved contributions from esteemed professionals like Senior Assistant Professor Yasuka Toda from Meiji University, Professor Masataka Okabe from The Jikei University School of Medicine, Professor Shigehiro Kuraku from the National Institute of Genetics, and Project Associate Professor Shinji Okada from The University of Tokyo.
This remarkable discovery challenges the long-held belief that only three T1R family members have been retained through evolution. The researchers named these novel taste receptor genes TAS1R4, TAS1R5, TAS1R6, TAS1R7, and TAS1R8, shedding light on their distribution across species with a common ancestor.
Notably, these new genes exhibit diverse distribution patterns among different species. For instance, TAS1R4 genes were found in specific groups like lizards, axolotl, lungfishes, coelacanth, and cartilaginous fishes but were notably absent in mammals, birds, crocodilians, turtles, and teleost fishes. Similarly, TAS1R5 appeared in axolotl, lungfishes, and coelacanth, forming a close evolutionary relationship with TAS1R1 and TAS1R2.
The study’s extensive findings also disclosed unexpected diversity within existing TAS1R genes, such as TAS1R3 splitting into TAS1R3A and TAS1R3B among bony vertebrates, challenging conventional assumptions about gene groupings.
Moreover, the research uncovered the evolutionary timeline, estimating the first TAS1R gene’s appearance around 615-473 million years ago. This gene underwent duplications, leading to the creation of nine taste receptor genes in the common ancestor of bony vertebrates. Subsequently, various lineages lost some of these genes, with mammals and teleosts retaining only three TAS1Rs.
Beyond unraveling the taste receptor’s evolutionary history, these findings possess practical implications. Prof. Nishihara highlighted their potential applications, including tailoring pet foods and attractants to suit the diverse taste preferences of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, underscoring the broad-ranging impact of this groundbreaking research.
