Molecular basis for species-specific sensitivity to "hot" chili peppers
Molecular basis for species-specific sensitivity to "hot" chili peppers
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DOI：
10.1016/s0092-8674(02)00637-2
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发表时间：
2002-02-08
期刊：
影响因子：
64.5
通讯作者：
Julius, D
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Jordt, SE;Julius, D
辣椒产生辛辣的香草素化合物辣椒素，它可以保护人们免受哺乳动物的捕食。鸟类对辣椒素产生的疼痛反应漠不关心，因此它们是传播辣椒素种子的媒介。在这里，我们确定这种物种特异性行为反应的分子基础，通过确定一个域的大鼠香草素受体，赋予辣椒素的敏感性，通常不敏感的鸡直系同源物。与哺乳动物类似，鸡的受体被热或质子激活，这与哺乳动物和鸟类都能检测到有害热量并经历热超敏反应的事实相一致。我们的研究结果提供了定向威慑的生态现象的分子基础，并表明，检测辣椒素样炎症物质的能力是最近收购的哺乳动物香草素受体。
Chili peppers produce the pungent vanilloid compound capsaicin, which offers protection from predatory mammals. Birds are indifferent to the pain-producing effects of capsaicin and therefore serve as vectors for seed dispersal. Here, we determine the molecular basis for this species-specific behavioral response by identifying a domain of the rat vanilloid receptor that confers sensitivity to capsaicin to the normally insensitive chicken ortholog. Like its mammalian counterpart, the chicken receptor is activated by heat or protons, consistent with the fact that both mammals and birds detect noxious heat and experience thermal hypersensitivity. Our findings provide a molecular basis for the ecological phenomenon of directed deterrence and suggest that the capacity to detect capsaicin-like inflammatory substances is a recent acquisition of mammalian vanilloid receptors.