Patent ID: 7704698

Claim:
An in vitro assay for identifying a compound which modulates a bitter taste receptor polypeptide that specifically binds and/or functionally responds to bitter ligands wherein said taste receptor polypeptide is a polypeptide selected from (i) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO:2, (ii) a polypeptide that is encoded by an isolated nucleic acid that encodes a human bitter taste receptor and which hybridizes under stringent hybridization condition to the complement of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 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 (iii) a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the bitter taste receptor polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 or to a polypeptide comprising the extracellular region or the transmembrane region of the taste receptor polypeptide in SEQ ID NO:2; and which polypeptide of (i), (ii) or (iii) specifically binds and/or functionally responds to bitter ligands that bind or activate the bitter taste receptor polypeptide in SEQ ID NO:2 wherein said assay comprises: i: screening a compound for its specific binding to said polypeptide or its effect if any on the activation of a said bitter taste receptor polypeptide and ii: identifying said compound as a potential bitter taste modulator if it specifically binds to and/or enhances or inhibits the activation of said bitter taste receptor polypeptide.