Open AccessLoss of sweet taste despite the conservation of sweet receptor genes in insectivorous bats
Author(s) -
Hengwu Jiao,
Huan-Wang Xie,
Libiao Zhang,
Nima Zhuoma,
Peihua Jiang,
Huabin Zhao
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2021516118
Subject(s) - frugivore , biology , insectivore , taste receptor , taste , zoology , evolutionary biology , ecology , biochemistry , predation , habitat
Significance The sense of taste provides key information on diet, but evolution of taste receptor genes in vertebrates is sometimes unable to predict their feeding ecology. Here we use behavioral experiments and functional assays to demonstrate the loss of sweet taste despite the conservation of sweet receptor genes in insectivorous bats. Although sweet taste receptor genes were highly conserved between frugivorous and insectivorous bats at the sequence level, our behavioral experiments revealed dramatic divergence in two bat species with distinct diets: the insectivorous bat showed no preference for natural sugars, whereas the frugivorous bat showed strong preferences for sucrose and fructose. Our cell-based assays from multiple representative bat species across the phylogeny further supported the behavioral preference tests.