The Relationship between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Taste Receptor Genes, Taste Function and Dietary Intake in Preschool-Aged Children and Adults in the Guelph Family Health Study

Abstract

Taste is a fundamental determinant of food selection, and inter-individual variations in taste perception may be important risk factors for poor eating habits and obesity. Characterizing differences in taste perception and their influences on dietary intake may lead to an improved understanding of obesity risk and a potential to develop personalized nutrition recommendations. This study explored associations between 93 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in sweet, fat, bitter, salt, sour, and umami taste receptors and psychophysical measures of taste. Forty-four families from the Guelph Family Health Study participated, including 60 children and 65 adults. Saliva was collected for genetic analysis and parents completed a three-day food record for their children. Parents underwent a test for suprathreshold sensitivity (ST) and taste preference (PR) for sweet, fat, salt, umami, and sour as well as a phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste status test. Children underwent PR tests and a PTC taste status test. Analysis of SNPs and psychophysical measures of taste yielded 23 significant associations in parents and 11 in children. After adjusting for multiple hypothesis testing, the rs713598 in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene and rs236514 in the KCNJ2 sour taste-associated gene remained significantly associated with PTC ST and sour PR in parents, respectively. In children, rs173135 in KCNJ2 and rs4790522 in the TRPV1 salt taste-associated gene remained significantly associated with sour and salt taste PRs, respectively. A multiple trait analysis of PR and nutrient composition of diet in the children revealed that rs9701796 in the TAS1R2 sweet taste receptor gene was associated with both sweet PR and percent energy from added sugar in the diet. These findings provide evidence that for bitter, sour, salt, and sweet taste, certain genetic variants are associated with taste function and may be implicated in eating patterns. (Support was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs).

A biopsychosocial approach to processes and pathways in the development of overweight and obesity in childhood: Insights from developmental theory and research

“…The susceptibility has been associated with appetitive traits that are assumed to mediate OW/OB . There is considerable evidence about genetic contributions to appetitive traits, such as food intake self‐regulation or its inverse, impulsivity, uncontrolled or emotional eating, satiety responsiveness and food cue responsiveness, food preferences and choice, and food intake as well as taste receptors . Another dimension to the genetic evidence is about epigenetic effects associated with maternal obesity and prenatal diet .…”

“…118 There is considerable evidence about genetic contributions to appetitive traits, such as food intake self-regulation 119 or its inverse, impulsivity, 120 uncontrolled or emotional eating, 16 satiety responsiveness and food cue responsiveness, [121][122][123][124][125] food preferences and choice, 124,126,127 and food intake 125,126 as well as taste receptors. 128 Another dimension to the genetic evidence is about epigenetic effects associated with maternal obesity and prenatal diet. [129][130][131] Paternal epigenetic effects have also been reported.…”

Bitter, Sweet, Salty, Sour and Umami Taste Perception Decreases with Age: Sex-Specific Analysis, Modulation by Genetic Variants and Taste-Preference Associations in 18 to 80 Year-Old Subjects

“…In general, people prefer to eat foods they like [ 21 , 22 , 23 ] and taste is one of the most important factors when making the choices [ 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 ]. Although there is huge inter-individual variation in the perception of the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami) [ 26 , 27 , 28 ], little is known about the influence of such variation on the intake patterns of certain foods [ 29 , 30 ] or even on preferences for certain tastes [ 26 , 27 , 31 , 32 ], emphasizing the need for further research. Initial findings in humans and in animal models suggest that lower taste perception may be associated with higher obesity risk [ 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

“…Specifically, the rs713598 polymorphism in the TAS2R38 gene (TAS2R38-rs713598) consisting of a Ala49Pro amino acid change has been selected as the tag single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in several studies [ 26 , 43 , 45 ]. Although for sweet and salty tastes, there is much less consistency than for bitter taste, several polymorphisms have been identified in genes related to these tastes in association with different phenotypes [ 27 , 30 , 46 , 47 , 48 ]. Among them, both the rs35874116 polymorphism in the taste 1 receptor member 2 (TAS2R38) gene (TAS1R2-rs35874116) and the rs239345 polymorphism in the sodium channel epithelial 1 beta subunit (SCNN1B) gene (SCNN1B-rs239345) for the sweet and salty tastes, respectively, have been analysed with inconsistent results [ 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”

Taste the Pain: The Role of TRP Channels in Pain and Taste Perception

“…Chamoun and colleagues compared SNPs in taste receptor genes (including TRPV1) among 65 adults and 60 children. In children, the C-allele of the TRPV1 SNP rs4790522 was associated with a higher salt preference compared with A-allele, while in adults, the A-allele of the TRPV1 SNP rs150908 was correlated with a higher salt sensitivity and lower salt preference [85].…”