Figure 4

Genome-wide interval mapping of taste responses to bitter and sweet compounds: 0.1 – 0.4 mg/ml quinine, 0.3 mM beta-lactose acetate (BLA), 0.4 mM raffinose undecaacetate (RUA), 10 mM copper glycinate and 3.2 mM saccharin. LRS = Likelihood Ratio Score. The taste stimuli were tested in the two-bottle preference tests in the BXD recombinant inbred mouse strains. Phenotype data were previously published [46, 72, 151, 153] and are available at http://www.genenetwork.org. Mapping was conducted using WebQTL software http://www.genenetwork.org. The interval mapping illustrates previously published linkages for avoidance of all four bitter-tasting stimuli to Chr 6 and for saccharin preference to Chr 4 (Sac/Tas1r3 locus). A recent study of bitter taste in BXD mice using brief-access procedures demonstrates that the QTL on Chr 6 reflects orosensory processing, and not post-ingestive effects, of the bitter stimulus quinine [30].