Re: VRD: PTC paper and PTC genetics

Daniel:
     I apologize for the extreme delay in answering your question.  I hope 
the following information is helpful to you about the history of PTC.

     Most of the work concerning the aility of people to taste bitter 
compounds was done in the 1930's.  The selective ability of people to 
taste propylthiouracil (PROP) and its chemical cousin phenylthiocarbamide 
(PTC)was noticed.  This of course, is also true for tastes such as sweet 
and sour, and genes have been found in mice that alter the ability to 
taste sweetened water solutions.

     Dr. Fox is primarily responsible for discovering this phenomenon.  
His reference and several others are described in detail at the following 
NIH (National Institutes Of Health) website.  the previous information was 
obtained from the University Of Pennsyvania Medical School website.

Thanks:
 http://www3.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?171200

Fox et al., Science 73:14 1931.