Patent ID: 8119359

Claim:
A method of screening for a compound that putatively blocks or activates sweet taste signaling, the method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting cells comprising isolated mammalian cells or cultured mammalian cells with one or more compounds, wherein said cells express a receptor that binds to sweet taste compounds; and (b) detecting whether said one or more compounds specifically bind to said receptor and/or specifically activate said receptor and, based thereon, identifying said one or more compounds as compounds that putatively block or activate sweet taste signaling, wherein (1) said receptor that binds to sweet compounds comprises a T1R2 polypeptide and a T1R3 polypeptide, (2) said T1R2 polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a polypeptide that is identical to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 4; and (ii) a polypeptide that is at least 90% identical to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 4; and (3) said T1R3 polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a polypeptide that is identical to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 6; and (ii) a polypeptide that is at least 90% identical to the T1R3 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 6.