Synchronized Expansion and Contraction of Olfactory, Vomeronasal, and Taste Receptor Gene Families in Hystricomorph Rodents.

ABSTRACT: Chemical senses, including olfaction, pheromones, and taste, are crucial for the survival of most animals. There has long been a debate about whether different types of senses might influence each other. For instance, primates with a strong sense of vision are thought to have weakened olfactory abilities, although the oversimplified trade-off theory is now being questioned. It is uncertain whether such interactions between different chemical senses occur during evolution. To address this question, we examined four receptor gene families related to olfaction, pheromones, and taste: olfactory receptor (OR), vomeronasal receptor type 1 and type 2 (V1R and V2R), and bitter taste receptor (T2R) genes in Hystricomorpha, which is morphologically and ecologically the most diverse group of rodents.

SUBMITTER: Niimura Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11035023 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature