Patent ID: 7399601

Claim:
A method of identifying a compound that putatively enhances, inhibits, or elicits bitter taste in a human subject comprising (i) screening one or more compounds in a screening assay which identifies compounds that specifically bind to or inhibit the specific binding of a ligand to a human T2R61 taste receptor polypeptide, wherein said T2R61 taste receptor polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a T2R61 polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:8; (b) a T2R61 polypeptide having at least 95% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:8 that specifically binds a ligand bound by the T2R61 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:8; (c) a T2R61 polypeptide encoded by the nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to the nucleic acid sequence in SEQ ID NO:7 wherein stringent hybridization conditions are hybridization in 5×SSC, 1% SDS, incubation at 65 degrees C. and wash in 2×SSC and 0.1% SDS at 65 degrees C. and which T2R61 polypeptide specifically binds to a ligand that is specifically bound by the T2R61 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:8, and (ii) identifying a compound as putatively enhancing, inhibiting or eliciting a T2R61 associated bitter taste sensation in a human subject based on its specific binding to a human T2R61 polypeptide according to (a), (b) or (c) or its modulation (inhibition or enhancement) of the specific binding of another ligand to a T2R polypeptide according to (a), (b) or (c).