Patent ID: 8309314

Claim:
A method for identifying an antagonist of hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor activity, wherein said hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor activity is mediated by a hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor comprising: (a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2; or (b) a polypeptide comprising not more than fifteen (15) amino acid residues that are conservatively substituted compared to SEQ ID NO:2, and has at least 20% hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor activity; or (c) a polypeptide having hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor activity, and where said polypeptide is at least 95% identical to a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2; comprising the steps: (1) contacting a hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor or a host cell expressing said hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor with a potential antagonist; and (2) determining whether the potential antagonist inhibits the hTAS2R14 bitter taste receptor activity, wherein prior, concomitantly and/or after step (1) said bitter taste receptor or said host cell is contacted with an agonist selected from the group consisting of absinthin, artemorin, arglabin, azathioprine, azepinon, benzoin, brucine, camphor, chlorhexidine, N,N′-diethylthiourea, herbolid A, isohumulone, noscapine, and parthenolid.