Diet shapes the evolution of the vertebrate bitter taste receptor gene repertoire.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Li D
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3907052 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Diet shapes the evolution of the vertebrate bitter taste receptor gene repertoire.
Molecular biology and evolution 20131107 2
Vertebrate Tas2r taste receptors bind to bitter compounds, which are typically poisonous, to elicit bitter sensation to prevent the ingestion of toxins. Previous studies noted a marked variation in the number of Tas2r genes among species, but the underlying cause is unclear. To address this question, we compile the Tas2r gene repertoires from 41 mammals, 4 birds, 2 reptiles, 1 amphibian, and 6 fishes. The number of intact Tas2r genes varies from 0 in the bottlenose dolphin to 51 in the Western c ...[more]
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