Single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1761667 in the CD36 gene is associated with orosensory perception of a fatty acid in obese and normal-weight Moroccan subjects

J Nutr Sci. 2020 Jun 30:9:e24. doi: 10.1017/jns.2020.18. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Obese subjects have shown a preference for dietary lipids. A recent collection of evidence has proposed that a variant in the CD36 gene plays a significant role in this pathway. We assessed the association between the orosensory detection of a long-chain fatty acid, i.e. oleic acid (OA), and genetic polymorphism of the lipid taste sensor CD36 in obese and normal-weight subjects. Adult participants were recruited in the fasting condition. They were invited to fat taste perception sessions, using emulsions containing OA and according to the three-alternative forced-choice (3-AFC) method. Genomic DNA was used to determine the polymorphism (SNP rs 1761667) of the CD36 gene. Obese (n 50; BMI 34⋅97 (sd 4⋅02) kg/m2) exhibited a significantly higher oral detection threshold for OA (3⋅056 (sd 3⋅53) mmol/l) than did the normal-weight (n 50; BMI 22⋅16 (sd 1⋅81) kg/m2) participants (1⋅20 (sd 3⋅23) mmol/l; P = 0⋅007). There was a positive correlation between OA detection thresholds and BMI in all subjects; evenly with body fat percentage (BF%). AA genotype was more frequent in the obese group than normal-weight group. OA detection thresholds were much higher for AA and AG genotypes in obese subjects compared with normal-weight participants. Higher oral detection thresholds for fatty acid taste are related to BMI, BF% and not always to CD36 genotype.

Keywords: BMI; CD36; Fat taste sensitivity; OA, oleic acid; Obesity; Oleic acid detection thresholds; SNP rs1761667.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Body Mass Index
  • CD36 Antigens / genetics*
  • Dietary Fats
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / genetics*
  • Oleic Acid / metabolism
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Weights and Measures
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • CD36 Antigens
  • CD36 protein, human
  • Dietary Fats
  • Fatty Acids
  • Oleic Acid