Scattered on mammalian tongues are specialized taste bud receptors that recognize specific tastes, including, of course, sweet. Two different proteins hook together to make each sweet receptor. According to Brand, Xia Li (lead author of the study), and their coauthors, cats do not produce one of the proteins, because the gene that codes for it is a pseudogene and is not functional. It is this lack of a functional sweet receptor that explains cats' indifference to sweet stimuli.
Cats have no way to recognize carbohydrates, and therefore eat an "Atkins-like" diet of meat and fat. These findings lead to more questions, Brand says. "The overarching evolutionary questions are: when and why did cats lose the ability to taste sweet things? Which came first, the carnivorous behavior or the inability to taste sweets?"
Brand adds, "I say jokingly, no wonder cats are cranky--not only do they have to hunt for their food, but they also can't enjoy a sweet dessert!"
Citation: Li X, Li W, Wang H, Cao J, Maehashi K, et al. (2005) Pseudogenization of a sweet-receptor gene accounts for cats' indifference toward sugar. PLoS Genet 1(1): e3.
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Announcing the debut of a new open-access journal from the Public Library of Science – PLoS Genetics
The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is pleased to announce the July 25 launch of PLoS Genetics (http://www.plosgenetics.org/), a new open-access, peer-reviewed journal. The journal is led by the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Wayne N. Frankel, a Senior Staff Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Genetics and genomics research has grown at a bewildering pace in the past 15 years. PLoS Genetics reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the field, and the research featured in the inaugural issue ranges from nematodes to humans and from cancer to evolution. Each research article is accompanied by a summary that places the findings in a broader context.
"The vision we have for PLoS Genetics as a community resource is first and foremost to support the dissemination of our science in a way that draws attention to the quality, depth, and scope of our best work. That this is an open-access journal is an integral part of this vision," the editorial team says. Open access--free availability and unrestricted use¬--to all articles published in the journal is central to the mission of PLoS Genetics and the Public Library of Science.
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PLoS Genetics