GENETIC VARIATIONS OF NUTRITION RELATED GENES AND FOOD PREFERENCES IN THE KAZAKHS OF KAZAKHSTAN

The density of taste buds, differences in genes encoding receptors, and other factors affect the on perception of taste and further food preferences. This study aimed to evaluate the association between 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms and food preferences in a Kazakh cohort. A total of 400 subjects were recruited from an outpatient clinic and genotyped for 24 polymorphisms previously described as associated with eating behaviour and food preferences in other ethnic groups. Regression analysis was conducted, adjusting for age and sex. Associations were detected between rs2290550 polymorphism in phospholipase C-B2 (PLCB2), rs34160967 polymorphism in taste 1 receptor member 1 (TAS1R1) gene, and rs860170 polymorphism in TAS2R16 gene and preferences for beef steak, unleavened bread, and sweet tea or coffee, respectively. There was an association between AA haplotype (TAS2R38) and a preference for fried potato. The main results of this study are the detection of associations between nutrition-related genes (BCMO1, PLCB2, TRPV1, TAS1R1, and TAS2R) and food preferences in a Kazakh population.