Anoumid Vaziri

Abstract Diets rich in sugar, salt, and fat alter taste perception and food preference, contributing to obesity and metabolic disorders, but the molecular mechanisms through which this occurs are unknown. Here, we show that in response to a high sugar diet, the epigenetic regulator Polycomb Repressive Complex 2.1 (PRC2.1) persistently reprograms the sensory neurons of Drosophila melanogaster flies to reduce sweet sensation and promote obesity.

Highlights • A high sugar diet decreases sweet taste sensation • Blunted sweet taste promotes overconsumption and obesity • Excess dietary sugar impairs taste function via the enzyme O-GlcNAc Transferase • Correcting fruit flies’ sweet taste function protects them from diet-induced obesity Summary Recent studies find that sugar tastes less intense to humans with obesity, but whether this sensory change is a cause or a consequence of obesity is unclear.