Chem. Senses 27: 105-115,
2002
© Oxford University Press 2002
A New Specific Ageusia
Some Humans Cannot Taste L-Glutamate
Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Sensorielle, 1 avenue des Olympiades, F-91744 Massy cedex and EA 359, Université Paris VII, France
Correspondence to be sent to: Dr Annick Faurion, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Sensorielle, 1 avenue des Olympiades, F-91744 Massy cedex, France. e-mail: faurion{at}ccr.jussieu.fr
A new specific ageusia was found in human subjects for monosodium L-glutamate (MSG). Four tests were successively applied to discriminate non-tasters and hypotasters from tasters. (i) NaCl and MSG thresholds, and (ii) suprathreshold sensitivity were evaluated using the up-and-down procedure. Only 73% of 109 subjects common to both tests demonstrated a sensitivity for MSG significantly higher than their sensitivity to NaCl, and hence a specific sensitivity to L-glutamate. The remaining 27% who showed no significant difference in sensitivity to MSG and NaCl solutions were considered as putative hypotasters. (iii) Perception profiles (time—intensity) for MSG and NaCl were tested in 58 subjects and appeared significantly different in 47 tasters (81%). This technique helped in identifying among putative hypotasters of tests 1 and 2 a few tasters who perceived equal intensity for isoconcentration of NaCl and MSG but who could discriminate isomolar solutions on other cues. Thus, 19% of subjects, for whom no significant differences were found between MSG and NaCl time—intensity profiles, remained in the hypotaster group. (iv) A discrimination task including 24 triangular presentations per subject of NaCl and MSG 29 mM applied to the eight most severe hypotasters showed that two subjects at least (two of 58; 3.5%) could not discriminate between both stimuli. Moreover, these subjects probably perceived identical sensations for MSG and NaCl solutions. The six other hypotasters (10.3%) could discriminate both stimuli at the limit of significance. None of these eight subjects were able to identify the typical umami taste in 29 mM MSG.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. D Fernstrom Introduction to the symposium Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 705S - 706S. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. D Fernstrom Symposium summary Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 881S - 885S. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. K Beauchamp Sensory and receptor responses to umami: an overview of pioneering work Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 723S - 727S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Chaudhari, E. Pereira, and S. D Roper Taste receptors for umami: the case for multiple receptors Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 738S - 742S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. A Bachmanov, M. Inoue, H. Ji, Y. Murata, M. G Tordoff, and G. K Beauchamp Glutamate taste and appetite in laboratory mice: physiologic and genetic analyses Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 756S - 763S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Raliou, A. Wiencis, A.-M. Pillias, A. Planchais, C. Eloit, Y. Boucher, D. Trotier, J.-P. Montmayeur, and A. Faurion Nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in human tas1r1, tas1r3, and mGluR1 and individual taste sensitivity to glutamate Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 789S - 799S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q.-Y. Chen, S. Alarcon, A. Tharp, O. M Ahmed, N. L Estrella, T. A Greene, J. Rucker, and P. A. Breslin Perceptual variation in umami taste and polymorphisms in TAS1R taste receptor genes Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 770S - 779S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Shigemura, S. Shirosaki, T. Ohkuri, K. Sanematsu, A. S. Islam, Y. Ogiwara, M. Kawai, R. Yoshida, and Y. Ninomiya Variation in umami perception and in candidate genes for the umami receptor in mice and humans Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 764S - 769S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 U.-k. Kim, S. Wooding, N. Riaz, L. B. Jorde, and D. Drayna Variation in the Human TAS1R Taste Receptor Genes Chem Senses, September 1, 2006; 31(7): 599 - 611. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Lim and H. T. Lawless Qualitative Differences of Divalent Salts: Multidimensional Scaling and Cluster Analysis Chem Senses, November 1, 2005; 30(9): 719 - 726. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 U.-K. Kim, P.A.S. Breslin, D. Reed, and D. Drayna Genetics of Human Taste Perception Journal of Dental Research, June 1, 2004; 83(6): 448 - 453. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|