Reception of Aversive Taste

Many organisms encounter noxious or unpalatable compounds in their diets. Thus, a robust reception-system for aversive taste is necessary for an individual’s survival; however, mechanisms for perceiving aversive taste vary among organisms. Possession of a system sensitive to aversive taste allows for recognition of a vast array of noxious molecules via membrane-bound receptors, co-receptors, and ion channels. These receptor–ligand interactions trigger signal transduction pathways resulting in activation of nerves and in neural processing, which in turn dictates behavior, including rejection of the noxious item. The impacts of these molecular processes on behavior differ among species, and these differences have impacts at the ecosystem level by driving feeding-behavior, organization of communities, and ultimately, speciation. For example, when comparing mammalian carnivores and herbivores, it is not surprising that herbivores that encounter a variety of toxic plants in their diets express a larger number of aversive taste receptors than carnivores. Comparing the molecular mechanisms and ecological consequences of aversive-taste reception among organisms in a variety of types of ecosystems and ecological niches will illuminate the role of taste in ecology and evolution.