Cell lines that stably or transiently express a functional umami (T1R1/T1R3) taste receptor

An isolated eukaryotic recombinant cell that expresses a heteromeric taste receptor, wherein said receptor is comprised of at least one T1R1 polypeptide and at least one T1R3 polypeptide, wherein said T1R1 polypeptide is (i) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising SEQ. ID. NO:

• 8, (ii) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising a nucleic acid that hybridizes to SEQ. ID. NO:
• 8 under stringent hybridization conditions which are conducting the hybridization reaction at 42° C. in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5×SSC, and 1% SDS and washing at 65° C. in a solution comprising 0.2×SSC and 0.1% SDS, or (iii) a T1R1 polypeptide possessing at least 95% sequence identity to the T1R1 polypeptide of SEQ. ID. NO:
• 5;
• wherein said T1R3 polypeptide is (i) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising SEQ. ID. NO:
• 9;
• (ii) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes to SEQ. ID. NO:
• 9 under stringent hybridization conditions which are conducting the hybridization reaction at 42° C. in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5×SSC, 10% SDS;
• and washing at 65° C. in a solution comprising 0.2×SCC and 0.1% SDS, or (iii) a T1R3 polypeptide possessing at least 95% sequence identity to the T1R3 polypeptide of SEQ. ID. NO:
• 7;
• and wherein said isolated cell expresses a heteromeric taste receptor that specifically binds to a ligand that specifically binds to an endogenous (wild-type) human heteromeric T1R1/T1R3 receptor comprised of at least one endogenous T1R1 polypeptide and at least one endogenous T1R3 polypeptide.