Mammalian T1R3 sweet taste receptors
AssigneesThe Regents of the University of California, The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
InventorsIsolde Erlenbach, Nicholas J. P. Ryba, Grace Zhao, Charles S. Zuker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides isolated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of sweet taste receptors, the receptors comprising consisting of a monomer or homodimer of a T1R3 G-protein coupled receptor polypeptide, antibodies to such receptors, methods of detecting such nucleic acids and receptors, and methods of screening for modulators of sweet and amino acid taste receptors.
Claims19
A method of identifying a compound that modulates taste signal transduction in taste cells, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) contacting a test compound with an isolated taste receptor comprising at least one T1R3 polypeptide and not comprising T1R1 or T1R2 and wherein the T1R3 polypeptide is at least 90% identical to an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:15, 20, 23, 25 or 31;
- (ii) determining the functional effect of the test compound upon the receptor, wherein said functional effect is binding to the receptor or having an effect on the activity of the receptor;
- (iii) determining the functional effect of >300 mM natural sugar on the receptor;
- and
- (iv) comparing the functional effect of the test compound to the functional effect of >300 mM natural sugar and, identifying the test compound as the compound that modulates taste signal transduction if the effect of the test compound is equal to or greater than the effect of >300 mM natural sugar.
A method of identifying a modulator of taste signal transduction in taste cells, the method comprising the steps of
- (i) contacting a cell with a candidate compound and a natural sweetener, wherein the cell expresses a taste receptor comprising a T1R3 polypeptide and does not express T1R1 and T1R2;
- and
- (ii) determining whether the candidate compound modulates the functional effect of the natural sweetener upon the receptor, thereby identifying the compound as the modulator of taste signal transduction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.