TAS2R38 bitter taste perception in the Konka?i Sarasvata Brahmin population

BackgroundThe TAS2R38 gene carries markers for phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) sensitivity. Various studies have investigated the genotype-phenotype association pattern for bitter tasting ability and other factors in different populations. However, a paucity of such information for endogamous Indian populations is the reason behind this study.ObjectiveTo study the association of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) sensitivity with TAS2R38 gene variations in Konka?i Sarasvata Brahmin population.MethodsWe studied the association of the alleles rs714598, rs1726866, rs10246939 with PTC sensitivity and other factors in the Konka?i Sarasvata Brahmin population. DNA was extracted from 114 individuals belonging to the Konka?i Sarasvata Brahmin community. The TAS2R38 gene was sequenced to find the genotype distribution pattern. The association between genotype and phenotype was checked using the Chi-Square test and multifactorial logistical regression.ResultsWe observed a 58.8% frequency of the AVI haplotype, which is the most prevalent in European populations. A higher number of non-taster haplotypes and diplotypes were observed in Konka?i Sarasvata Brahmins, with the allele rs10246939 showing a significant association with PTC bitter taste sensitivity in both allelic (p = 8.6 x 10(-4); Allele-G, OR = 3.57 [95% CI = 1.66-7.69]) and genotype-based (p = 6.9 x 10(-4); genotype-AG, OR = 3.11 [95% CI = 0.73-13.20]; genotype-GG, OR = 40 [95% CI = 3.58-447.03]) tests.ConclusionOur results are in line with earlier studies, which report an association between PTC sensitivity and the TAS2R38 gene in different populations. In the global context, Konka?i Sarasvata Brahmins, who are mostly distributed along the southwestern coast of India, show a PTC sensitivity pattern slightly similar to that of West Eurasian populations. Our findings suggest ancestry specific selection in TAS2R38 gene variations for taste sensitivity at global level.