Elucidation of the intra- and inter- species characteristics ofsensory functions based on the genome divergence

基于基因组多样性，研究了灵长类动物在遗传、蛋白质和行为水平上的化学感觉。研究发现，灵长类动物摄食行为存在大量的基因多态性，尤其是苦味受体基因的多态性，反映了灵长类动物摄食行为的区域和个体差异。通过对人类、猕猴、黑猩猩和叶猴的TAS2R16功能的种间比较，我们发现柳树树皮中水杨苷等配体的敏感性和选择性在种间存在差异。这一结果表明，基于遗传和蛋白质功能的差异，食性植物中所含的生物活性分子在三种植物中存在苦味感知的差异。

We investigated the chemical senses of primates in genetic, protein, and behavior level based on the genomic diversities. Lots of polymorphisms are identified especially in bitter taste receptor genes, which would reflect the regionaland individual differences in the feeding behaviors of primates. By interspecies comparison of TAS2R16 functions between human, macaque, chimpanzee, and langur, we found interspecies differences in the sensitivity and selectiviy of ligands like salicin contained in bark of willow trees. This result demonstrates the presence of in terspecies differences in the sense of bitter taste, based on the genetic and protein functional difference, for the bioactive molecules contained in the feeding plants.