Patent ID: 7781181

Claim:
An in vitro functional assay method for identifying a compound that putatively modulates or elicits taste in a human subject comprising:(i) screening one or more compounds in a assay that screens for a compound that modulates the activity of a human T1R2 polypeptide, wherein said T1R2 polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a human T1R2 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 21 or a polypeptide comprising the extracellular or transmembrane regions of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:21; (b) a human T1R2 polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid sequence that specifically hybridizes to the hT1R2 nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 23 under stringent hybridizations which are: conducting hybridization at 42 degrees C. in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5×SSC, and 1% SDS, and washing at 65 degrees C. in a solution containing 0.2×SSC and 0.1% SDS, and which human T1R2 polypeptide specifically binds to a ligand that specifically binds to the human T1R2 polypeptide in SEQ ID NO:21; and (c) a T1R2 polypeptide which has at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 21 or a chimeric polypeptide containing a first portion which is at least 90% identical the extracellular regions of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:21 and further containing a second portion comprising the transmembrane regions of a different GPCR or a chimeric polypeptide containing a first portion which is at least 90% identical the transmembrane regions of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:21 and further containing a second portion which comprises the extracellular regions of a different GPCR; and(ii) whereby a compound that putatively modulates or elicits taste is identified by its modulation of the activity of a human T1R2 polypeptide according to (a), (b), (c) or its inhibition or enhancement of the activation of said T1R2 polypeptide according to (a), (b), or (c) by another compound.