Comprehensive analysis of mouse bitter taste receptors reveals different molecular receptive ranges for orthologous receptors in mice and humans

One key to animal survival is the detection and avoidance of potentially harmful compounds by their bitter taste. Variable numbers of taste 2 receptor genes expressed in the gustatory end organs enable bony vertebrates (Euteleostomi) to recognize numerous bitter chemicals. It is believed that the receptive ranges of bitter taste receptor repertoires match the profiles of bitter chemicals that the species encounter in their diets. Human and mouse genomes contain pairs of orthologous bitter receptor genes that have been conserved throughout evolution. Moreover, expansions in both lineages generated species-specific sets of bitter taste receptor genes. It is assumed that the orthologous bitter taste receptor genes mediate the recognition of bitter toxins relevant for both species, whereas the lineage-specific receptors enable the detection of substances differently encountered by mice and humans. By challenging 34 mouse bitter taste receptors with 128 prototypical bitter substances in a heterologous expression system we identified cognate compounds for 21 receptors, 19 of which were previously orphan receptors. We demonstrate that mouse taste 2 receptors, like their human counterparts, vary greatly in their breadth of tuning, ranging from very broadly to extremely narrowly tuned receptors. However, when compared to humans, mice possess fewer broadly tuned receptors and an elevated number of narrowly tuned receptors, supporting the idea that a large receptor repertoire is the basis for the evolution of specialized receptors. Moreover, we demonstrate that sequence-orthologous bitter taste receptors have distinct agonist profiles. Species-specific gene expansions have enabled further diversification of bitter substance recognition spectra.