Patent ID: 7524637

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that putatively modulates taste in a human subject based on its effect in T1R1 polypeptide activation comprising: (i) screening one or more compounds in a functional assay that detects compounds which activate or modulate (enhance or inhibit) the activation of a human taste receptor comprising a human T1R1 polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: (a) a T1R1 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence in SEQ. ID. NO: 17; (b) a human T1R1 polypeptide that possesses at least 90% sequence identity to the polypeptide in SEQ. ID. NO: 17 that specifically binds to a ligand that also specifically binds to the T1R1 polypeptide in SEQ ID NO: 17; (c) a human T1R1 polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes to the T1R1 polypeptide coding region of the nucleic acid sequence in SEQ. ID. NO: 15 or 16 under stringent hybridization conditions which are 50% formamide, 5X SCC and 1% SDS, incubating at 42 degrees C. and wash in 0.2X SSC and 0.1% SDS at 65 degrees C. and which T1R1 polypeptide that specifically binds to a taste ligand that specifically binds to the T1R1 polypeptide in SEQ ID NO: 17; and (ii) identifying compounds that putatively modulate taste in a human subject based on their (a) activation or modulation (inhibition or enhancement) of the activation of said T1R1 polypeptide according to (a), (b), or (c), in said functional assay (i).