Data from: Functional characterization of the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor for phenylthiocarbamide in colobine monkeys

Bitterness perception in mammals is mostly directed at natural toxins that
induce innate avoidance behaviours. Bitter taste is mediated by the G
protein-coupled receptor TAS2R, which is located in taste cell membranes.
One of the best-studied bitter taste receptors is TAS2R38, which
recognizes phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Here we investigate the
sensitivities of TAS2R38 receptors to PTC in four species of leaf-eating
monkeys (subfamily Colobinae). Compared with macaque monkeys (subfamily
Cercopithecinae), colobines have lower sensitivities to PTC in behavioural
and in vitro functional analyses. We identified four non-synonymous
mutations in colobine TAS2R38 that are responsible for the decreased
sensitivity of the TAS2R38 receptor to PTC observed in colobines compared
with macaques. These results suggest that tolerance to bitterness in
colobines evolved from an ancestor that was sensitive to bitterness as an
adaptation to eating leaves.