Evolution of the sweet taste receptor gene Tas1r2 in bats.

ABSTRACT: Taste perception is an important component of an animal's fitness. The identification of vertebrate taste receptor genes in the last decade has enabled molecular genetic studies of the evolution of taste perception in the context of the ecology and dietary preferences of organisms. Although such analyses have been conducted in a number of species for bitter taste receptors, a similar analysis of sweet taste receptors is lacking. Here, we survey the sole sweet taste-specific receptor gene Tas1r2 in 42 bat species that represent all major lineages of the order Chiroptera, one of the most diverse groups of mammals in terms of diet. We found that Tas1r2 is under strong purifying selection in the majority of the bats studied, with no significant difference in the strength of the selection betwe

SUBMITTER: Zhao H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2981487 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature