Genetics of bitter perception in mice

Abstract

Inbred and congenic strains exhibited several patterns of relative sensitivity to bitter tastants in 48-h, two-bottle preference tests. With segregation analyses of descendents of crosses between contrasting strains, these patterns suggested at least three genetic loci influencing bitter perception. The extensively characterized Soa (sucrose octaacetate) locus underlies one pattern. Variation at this locus had pleiotropic effects on avoidance of other acetylated sugars, plus such structurally dissimilar bitter tastants as brucine, denatonium benzoate, and quinine sulfate. Unlike SOA, however, sensitivity to quinine sulfate was polygenically determined, and produced a second characteristic pattern. At least one, possibly several, additional unlinked loci contributed to quinine differences. Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) aversion differences exemplified a third pattern. Segregation consistent with monogenic control of PTC aversion has been reported, and within segregating populations PTC aversion did not covary with SOA or quinine sulfate avoidance. Variants of the three major patterns may be useful for analysis of specific mechanisms. While both showed the SOA pattern, strychnine differences were markedly smaller than brucine (dimethoxystrychnine) differences. Likewise, a hop extract containing primarily iso-alpha acids (e.g., isohumulone) produced an SOA-like pattern, while an extract with nonisomerized alpha-acids (e.g., humulone) did not.