Human bitter perception correlates with bitter receptor messenger RNA expression in taste cells

Background: Alleles of the receptor gene TAS2R38 are responsible in part for the variation in bitter taste perception of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and structurally similar compounds (eg, glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables). At low concentrations, people with the PAV (“taster ” amino acid sequence) form of TAS2R38 perceive these bitter compounds, whereas most with the AVI (“nontaster ” amino acid sequence) form do not; heterozygotes (PAV/AVI) show the widest range of bitter perception. Objectives: The objectives were to examine individual differences in expression of PAV-TAS2R38 messenger RNA (mRNA) among heterozygotes, to test the hypotheses that the abundance of allele-specific gene expression accounts for the variation in human bitter taste perception, and to relate to dietary intake of bitter-tasting beverages and foods. Design: Heterozygous individuals (n = 22) provided psychophysical evaluation of the bitterness of PROP, glucosinolate-containing broc-coli juice, non–glucosinolate-containing carrot juice, and several bitter non-TAS2R38 ligands as well as dietary recalls. Fungiform taste papillae were examined for allele-specific TAS2R38 expression by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: PAV-TAS2R38 mRNA expression was measured in 18 of 22 heterozygous subjects. Relative expression varied widely and positively correlated with ratings of bitterness intensity of PROP (P = 0.007) and broccoli juice (P = 0.004) but not of the control solutions carrot juice (P = 0.26), NaCl (P = 0.68), caffeine (P = 0.24), or urea (P = 0.47). Expression amounts were related to self-reported recent and habitual caffeine intake (P = 0.060, P = 0.005); vegetable intake was too low to analyze. Conclusions: We provide evidence that PAV-TAS2R38 expression amount correlates with individual differences in bitter sensory per-ception and diet. The nature of this correlation calls for additional research on the molecular mechanisms associated with some in-dividual differences in taste perception and food intake. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01399944. Am J Clin Nutr 2013;98:1136–43