The role of G-protein-coupled receptor 120 in fatty acids sensing in chicken oral tissues

Clarification of the mechanism of chickens' taste sense will provide meaningful information for creating and improving new feedstuff for chickens, because the character of taste receptors in oral tissues affects feeding behavior in animals. Although fatty acids are partly recognized via G-protein coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) for fat taste in mammalian oral tissues, the fat taste receptor of chickens has not been elucidated. Here we cloned chicken GPR120 (cGPR120) from the chicken palate, which contains taste buds. By using Ca²⁺ imaging methods, we identified oleic acid and linoleic acid as cGPR120 agonists. Interestingly, in a behavioral study the chickens preferred corn oil-rich feed over mineral oil (control oil)-rich feed. Because corn oil contains high amounts of oleic acid and linoleic acid, this result was thought to be reasonable. Taken together, the present results suggest that cGPR120 is one of the functional fat taste receptors in chickens.