Home » MOCA » Domains » Gene Family Expansion and Loss

Taste Receptors

Certainty Style Key
Hover over keys for definitions:
True   Likely   Speculative
What is MOCA?
MOCA FAQ...
Human Uniqueness Compared to "Great Apes": 
Likely Difference
MOCA Domain: 
Gene Family Expansion and Loss
MOCA Topic Authors: 
Veronica Searles
James Sikela

Taste receptors are responsible for taste perception, and in humans lineage-specific pseudogenization of bitter taste receptor has occurred; this pseudogenization of bitter taste receptors may also be occurring in non-human primate lineages, but the rate at which it is occurring in the human lineage is significantly higher. Likewise, one study has found that two better taste receptor genes in the human lineage have undergone fixed pseudogenization, and that none have done so in the chimpanzee lineage.

Related MOCA Topics
Related Topics:
TitleCertainty
TAS2R38 (taste receptor, type 2, member 38)True
The Human Difference: 

Pseudogenization

References: 

Go Y, Satta Y, Takenaka O et al (2005). Lineage-specific loss of function of bitter taste receptor genes in humans and nonhuman primates. Genetics May; 170:313-326.Grus WE and Zhang J (2005). Human lineage-specific gene inactivation. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences: Evolution and Diversity of Life April;1-8. 

»