Taste receptors

Taste receptors are receptor proteins that recognise ligands belonging to one of the five taste modalities: salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami. In mammals, taste receptors are found in taste receptor cells on the tongue and in the upper digestive system. Bitter, sweet and umami receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors.

Latest Research and Reviews

Reviews | 30 November 2018

Therapeutic potential of ectopic olfactory and taste receptors

Olfactory and taste receptors are ectopically expressed in multiple extra-nasal and extra-oral tissues, exhibiting potential functions in a diverse range of biological processes. Here, Lee et al. discuss the physiological roles of these ectopic olfactory and taste receptors, assessing their emerging therapeutic and diagnostic potential in conditions including asthma, wound healing, obesity and cancer.
- Sung-Joon Lee
- , Inge Depoortere
- & Hanns Hatt
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 18, 116-138
Research | 01 November 2018 | open

Species generalization and differences in Hedgehog pathway regulation of fungiform and circumvallate papilla taste function and somatosensation demonstrated with sonidegib
- A. Kumari
- , Y. Yokota
- , L. Li
- , R. M. Bradley
- & C. M. Mistretta
Scientific Reports 8, 16150
Research | 07 August 2018 | open

Positive/Negative Allosteric Modulation Switching in an Umami Taste Receptor (T1R1/T1R3) by a Natural Flavor Compound, Methional
- Yasuka Toda
- , Tomoya Nakagita
- , Takatsugu Hirokawa
- , Yuki Yamashita
- , Ayako Nakajima
- , Masataka Narukawa
- , Yoshiro Ishimaru
- , Riichiro Uchida
- & Takumi Misaka
Scientific Reports 8, 11796
Research | 14 November 2017 | open

Heterogeneity in the Drosophila gustatory receptor complexes that detect aversive compounds

Taste sensilla are Drosophila sensory organs containing taste neurons, which have differential tuning for bitter compounds. Here, the authors systematically examine what combinations of gustatory receptor genes confer a specific taste response profile in different bitter taste neurons.
- Ha Yeon Sung
- , Yong Taek Jeong
- , Ji Yeon Lim
- , Hyeyon Kim
- , Soo Min Oh
- , Sun Wook Hwang
- , Jae Young Kwon
- & Seok Jun Moon
Nature Communications 8, 1484
Research | 08 August 2017 | open

Arginyl dipeptides increase the frequency of NaCl-elicited responses via epithelial sodium channel alpha and delta subunits in cultured human fungiform taste papillae cells
- Jiao-Jiao Xu
- , Nadia Elkaddi
- , Alvaro Garcia-Blanco
- , Andrew I. Spielman
- , Alexander A. Bachmanov
- , Hau Yin Chung
- & Mehmet Hakan Ozdener
Scientific Reports 7, 7483
Reviews | 29 June 2017

Taste buds: cells, signals and synapses

Mammals detect the nutrient content, palatability and potential toxicity of food through taste buds that are present mainly in the tongue. In this Review, Roper and Chaudhari discuss the taste bud cells, receptors and transmitters that are involved in taste detection, how these cells communicate with sensory afferent fibres, and peripheral taste coding.
- Stephen D. Roper
- & Nirupa Chaudhari
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 18, 485-497

All Research & Reviews

News and Comment

Research Highlights | 29 June 2017

Sensory systems: Tasting the water

Water in the external environment is detected by acid-sensing taste receptor cells via a carbonic anhydrase 4-mediated pH change.
- Sian Lewis
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 18, 454
Research Highlights | 26 November 2014

Sensory processing: Geniculate ganglion neurons have individual tastes

The majority of neurons in the geniculate ganglion — which receives inputs from taste receptor cells on the tongue — are singly tuned to a particular taste quality.
- Natasha Bray
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 16, 4
News | 09 May 2014

Pandas love sweeties too

British Dental Journal 216, 495
Comments and Opinion | 27 March 2014

A bitter taste for sinus infections

A University of Pennsylvania study has shown that bitter taste agonists stimulate the release of antimicrobial peptides in the sinuses, suggesting a new way to treat chronic rhinosinusitis. Although taste receptor–targeted therapies could decrease antibiotic use, pinpointing the right receptor for each infection might be difficult.
- Lauren Martz
Science-Business eXchange 7
Research Highlights | 18 October 2013

Neuroscience: Bitter oblivion
- Mirella Bucci
Nature Chemical Biology 9, 664
Research Highlights | 04 September 2013

Sensory systems: Probing hot cell function
- Katherine Whalley
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 14, 666