Genetic variation in sweet taste receptors and a mechanistic perspective on sweet and fat taste sensation in the context of obesity

Vinithra Ponnusamy; Gowtham Subramanian; Karthi Muthuswamy; Deepankumar Shanmugamprema; Vasanth Krishnan; Thirunavukkarasu Velusamy; Selvakumar Subramaniam

doi:10.1111/obr.13512

Genetic variation in sweet taste receptors and a mechanistic perspective on sweet and fat taste sensation in the context of obesity

Obes Rev. 2022 Dec;23(12):e13512. doi: 10.1111/obr.13512. Epub 2022 Oct 25.

Authors

Vinithra Ponnusamy¹, Gowtham Subramanian¹, Karthi Muthuswamy¹, Deepankumar Shanmugamprema¹, Vasanth Krishnan², Thirunavukkarasu Velusamy³, Selvakumar Subramaniam¹

Affiliations

¹ Molecular Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India, 641046.
² Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India, 641046.
³ Department of Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India, 641046.

PMID: 36282093
DOI: 10.1111/obr.13512

Abstract

Taste sensation enables humans to make nutritionally important decisions such as food preference and consumption. It functions as deterministic factors for unpropitious eating behavior, leading to overweight and obesity. The hedonistic feeling on consumption of fat and sugar-rich meals, in particular, has a negative influence on health. In addition, impairment in the taste receptors alters the downstream signaling of taste transduction pathway. Hence, genetic polymorphism in typical taste receptors is a predictor of taste sensitivity variance across individuals. The present review summarizes the effect of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in sweet taste receptors (T1R2/T1R3) on taste perception among individuals of various body mass index (BMI). Furthermore, in the context of obesity, we discussed the possibility of crosstalk between fat and sweet receptors as well as taste dysfunction in diseased individuals. In overall, a greater understanding of the physiological relationship between taste receptors, altered taste sensitivity, and genetic polymorphisms should lead to more effective obesity prevention approaches.

Keywords: fat taste; obesity; single nucleotide polymorphism; sweet taste.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Obesity* / genetics
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled* / genetics
Taste* / genetics

Substances

Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
taste receptors, type 1