Diet And The Evolution Of Salivary Amylase

Pancreatic α amylase randomly cleaves the α 1 4 glycosidic linkages of amylose to yield dextrin maltose or maltotriose.

Diet and the evolution of salivary amylase. For instance between species the secretion level of salivary proline rich proteins prps responds to the amount of tannin in the diet carnivores omnivores herbivores mcarthur et al 1995. The diet and the evolution of salivary amylase activity has two parts a and b that each focus on a different published data set. We found that copy number of the salivary amylase gene amy1 is correlated positively with salivary amylase protein level and that individuals from populations with high starch diets have on average more amy1 copies than those with traditionally low starch diets. Activity student handout diet and the evolution of salivary amylase in humans the amy1 gene on chromosome 1 produces salivary amylase.

Human saliva is more adept at breaking down starch modifying fat and detecting key flavors in human diet. Perry and colleagues speculated the increased copy number of the salivary amylase gene may have enhanced survival coincident to a shift to a starchy diet during human evolution. If drift explains the correlation of copy number with diet then one would not expect the copy number for pancreatic and salivary amylase both to correlate with diet. Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation nat genet.

This activity engages students in analyzing authentic scientific data that explore the effects of different diets on the evolution of an enzyme that breaks down starch. Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. There is evidence for co evolution of dietary habits and salivary proteins. The first task students encounter in part a is to analyze data on amy1 copy numbers and amylase production table 1.

The researchers discovered in humans higher amounts of amylase an enzyme key to digesting starch into sugars and carbonic anhydrase vi an enzyme involved in taste perception than was present in chimpanzees or gorillas. The co evolution of genes and culture diet and the evolution of salivary amylase in humans salivaryα amylase is produced by the amy1 gene on chromosome 1. We found that copy number of the salivary amylase gene amy1 is correlated positively with salivary amylase protein level and that individuals from populations with high starch diets have on average more amy1 copies than those with traditionally low. However genetic studies show that people can have anywhere from two to 15 diploid copies of.

Humans are diploid organisms meaning that they generally have two copies of genes that are not present on the x and y chromosomes one copy inherited from each parent. Humans are diploid organisms meaning that except for the genes on the x and y chromosomes they have two copies of most genes one copy inherited from each parent.