Loading...
INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF DIETARY PROTEIN AND INTERNAL NUTRIENT SENSORS ON TASTE SENSITIVITY
Vitters, Ava
Vitters, Ava
Citations
Altmetric:
License
License
Abstract
Protein intake from the diet is essential for survival, however, the relationship between nutritional status and taste sensitivity remains inadequately understood. This work uses the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model organism to investigate the effects of dietary protein and the expression of nutrient-sensing kinase GCN2 on amino acid taste and feeding responses. Proboscis extension assays were used to quantify taste sensitivity and feeding initiation in response to amino acids food cues. Flies maintained under low, normal, or high protein diets were compared, and the Gal4/UAS gene expression system used to knockdown GCN2 in specific cell types. The results show that both an increase in dietary protein and GCN2 inhibition decreases amino acid taste sensitivity, revealing how internal nutrient levels and a molecular sensor of nutrients modulates taste perception and dietary preference, allowing for a better understanding of the regulation of appetite and feeding behaviors of organisms.
Description
Date
2026-04-29
Student Status
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type of presentation
Files
4-12 Thesis copy.pdf
Adobe PDF, 887.38 KB
- Embargoed until 2028-04-15
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
DOI
Advisor(s)
Department
Biology
Neuroscience
Neuroscience