Patent ID: 7601513

Claim:
A method of producing a heteromeric taste receptor comprising: expressing at least one T1R1 nucleic acid sequence and at least one T1R3 nucleic acid sequence in a recombinant host cell under conditions which result in a heteromeric taste receptor comprising at least one T1R1 and T1R3 polypeptide, wherein said T1R1 polypeptide is (i) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising SEQ. ID. NO: 8, (ii) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising a nucleic acid that hybridizes to SEQ. ID. NO: 8 under stringent hybridization conditions which are conducting the hybridization reaction at 42° C. in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5X SSC, and 1% SDS and washing at 65° C. in a solution comprising 0.2X SSC and 0.1% SDS, or (iii) a T1R1 polypeptide possessing at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ. ID. NO: 5; and wherein said T1R3 polypeptide is (i) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising SEQ. ID. NO: 9; (ii) encoded by a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes to SEQ. ID. NO: 9 under stringent hybridization conditions which are conducting the hybridization reaction at 42° C. in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5X SSC, 10% SDS; and washing at 65° C. in a solution comprising 0.2X SCC and 0.1% SDS, or (iii) a T1R3 polypeptide possessing at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ. ID. NO: 7.