Patent ID: 8153763

Claim:
A heteromeric sweet taste receptor comprising: (a) a first polypeptide comprised of extracellular and transmembrane domains wherein said extracellular domains are at least 95% identical to all of the extracellular domains of the T1R2 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 6, and the transmembrane domains are at least 95% identical to all of the corresponding transmembrane domains of said T1R2 polypeptide; and (b) a second polypeptide comprised of extracellular and transmembrane domains wherein said extracellular domains are at least 95% identical to all of the extracellular domains of the T1R3 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 7, and the transmembrane domains are at least 95% identical to all of the corresponding transmembrane domains of said T1R3 polypeptide; wherein said heteromeric taste receptor specifically binds to a ligand that specifically binds to an endogenous (wild-type) human heteromeric T1R2/T1R3 receptor comprised of at least one endogenous T1R2 polypeptide and at least one endogenous T1R3 polypeptide.