Gustatory responsiveness to the 20 proteinogenic amino acids in the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

• The gustatory responsiveness of four adult spider monkeys to the 20 proteinogenic amino acids was assessed in two-bottle preference tests of brief duration (1 min). We found that Ateles geoffroyi responded with significant preferences for seven amino acids (glycine, l-proline, l-alanine, l-serine, l-glutamic acid, l-aspartic acid, and l-lysine) when presented at a concentration of 100 mM and/or 200 mM and tested against water. At the same concentrations, the animals significantly rejected five amino acids (l-tryptophan, l-tyrosine, l-valine, l-cysteine, and l-isoleucine) and were indifferent to the remaining tastants. Further, the results show that the spider monkeys discriminated concentrations as low as 0.2 mM l-lysine, 2 mM l-glutamic acid, 10 mM l-proline, 20 mM l-valine, 40 mM glycine, l-serine, and l-aspartic acid, and 80 mM l-alanine from the alternative stimulus, with individual animals even scoring lower threshold values. A comparison between the taste qualities of the proteinogenic amino acids as described by humans and the preferences and aversions observed in the spider monkeys suggests a fairly high degree of agreement in the taste quality perception of these tastants between the two species. A comparison between the taste preference thresholds obtained with the spider monkeys and taste detection thresholds reported in human subjects suggests that the taste sensitivity of A. geoffroyi for the amino acids tested here might match that of Homo sapiens. The results support the assumption that the taste responses of spider monkeys to proteinogenic amino acids might reflect an evolutionary adaptation to their frugivorous and thus protein-poor diet.

Nyckelord

Gustatory responsiveness

Taste preference thresholds

Proteinogenic amino acids

Spider monkeys

Ateles geoffroyi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)