Patent ID: 8017334

Claim:
A method for testing for dysgeusia, comprising: (i) amplifying from a sample taken from the oral cavity of an individual at least one nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequences as shown in SEQ ID NO: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 22, 24, 26, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 or 44; and/or at least one nucleotide sequence having at least 99% homology to a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 22, 24, 26, 34,36, 38, 40, 42 or 44 wherein the at least one nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide functioning as a taste receptor; (ii) measuring the expression level of at least one nucleotide sequence amplified in (i); and (iii) comparing the expression level of the at least one nucleotide sequence amplified in (i) to the expression level of the corresponding nucleotide sequence expression level in a normal individual; wherein a decrease in expression level of the at least one nucleotide sequence amplified in (i) as compared to the corresponding nucleotide sequence expression level in a normal individual indicates that the individual has dysgeusia.