Data from: Functional characterization of TAS2R38 receptor to Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) in Colobine monkeys

The perception of bitterness in mammals is mostly directed at natural toxins that induce innate avoidance behaviors. Bitter taste is mediated by the G protein-coupled receptor TAS2R, which is located in the membrane of taste cells. 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 to macaque monkeys (subfamily Cercopithecinae), colobines have lower sensitivities to PTC both in behavioral and in vitro functional analyses. We identified four non-synonymous mutations in colobine TAS2R38 genes that are responsible for the decreased sensitivity of the encoded TAS2R38 receptor to PTC that is observed in colobines compared to macaques. In light of these results, the tolerance to bitterness of colobines might have evolved in an ancestor that was sensitive to bitterness as an adaptation to eating leaves.