Umami Taste Receptor Evolved with Primates’ Diets

A study suggests that mutations in the gene that encodes the T1R1/T1R3 taste receptor allowed primates that relied on insects for protein to transition to eating leaves and fruit.

Written byAbby Olena, PhD

| 4 min read

Save for Later

Listen with Speechify

0:00

4:00

ABOVE: Top (left to right): Western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) in Bossou, Guinea, Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) in Yakushima, Japan, Blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) in Kalinzu, Uganda
Bottom (left to right): Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) in Danum Valley, Borneo, Malaysia, Anubis baboon (Papio anubis) in Kalinzu, Uganda, Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) in Pangandaran, Java, Indonesia
© TAKASHI HAYAKAWA

Most people enjoy umami flavor, which is perceived when a taste receptor called T1R1/T1R3 senses the amino acid glutamate. In some other mammals, such as mice, however, this same receptor is much less sensitive to glutamate. In a new study published August 26 in Current Biology, researchers uncover the molecular basis for this difference. They show that the receptor evolved in humans and some other primates away from mostly binding free nucleotides, which are common in insects, to preferentially binding glutamate, which is abundant in leaves. The authors argue that the change facilitated a ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Abby Olena, PhD
As a freelancer for The Scientist, Abby reports on new developments in life science for the website. She has a PhD from Vanderbilt University and got her start in science journalism as the Chicago Tribune’s AAAS Mass Media Fellow in 2013. Following a stint as an intern for The Scientist, Abby was a postdoc in science communication at Duke University, where she developed and taught courses to help scientists share their research. In addition to her work as a science journalist, she leads science writing and communication workshops and co-produces a conversational podcast. She is based in Alabama.
View Full Profile