Patent ID: 8795977
Filing Date: 2014-08-05
Classification: C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying a compound which modulates a taste receptor, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) providing a cell expressing (i) a taste receptor fused to a luminescent protein and (ii) a fluorescent protein fused to a β-arrestin, wherein said taste receptor is functional such that a detectable BRET signal is present when a substance known to activate this taste receptor is added to said cell, and wherein the BRET signal is exclusively caused by specific activation of the taste receptor; b) contacting the cell with a complex sample solution comprising a potential modulator compound and determining the BRET signal; c) comparing the BRET signal obtained in step b) with a BRET signal obtained from the cell in the absence of the potential modulator compound, wherein a difference between the BRET signal as obtained in b) and the BRET signal obtained in the absence of the potential modulator compound, is indicative of said complex sample solution comprising a compound which modulates a taste receptor; wherein said taste receptor is a G Protein Coupled Receptor, wherein said complex sample solution an aqueous solution, and wherein said aqueous sample solution is a complex sample solution defined as comprising more than 10 chemically different organic molecules, and wherein the complex sample solution comprises at least one of (a) a food product; (b) an extract of a food product; and (c) an extract of edible biomass; and wherein the BRET signals are obtained in a BRET1 or BRET2 technique.