Synergism, Bifunctionality, and the Evolution of a Gradual Sensory Trade-off in Hummingbird Taste Receptors.

ABSTRACT: Sensory receptor evolution can imply trade-offs between ligands, but the extent to which such trade-offs occur and the underlying processes shaping their evolution is not well understood. For example, hummingbirds have repurposed their ancestral savory receptor (T1R1-T1R3) to detect sugars, but the impact of this sensory shift on amino acid perception is unclear. Here, we use functional and behavioral approaches to show that the hummingbird T1R1-T1R3 acts as a bifunctional receptor responsive to both sugars and amino acids. Our comparative analyses reveal substantial functional diversity across the hummingbird radiation and suggest an evolutionary timeline for T1R1-T1R3 retuning. Finally, we identify a novel form of synergism between sugars and amino acids in vertebrate taste receptors. Th

SUBMITTER: Cockburn G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8826506 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature