Patent ID: 7736862

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:10; (ii) a human bitter taste receptor polypeptide that is encoded by an isolated nucleic acid that that hybridizes under stringent hybridization condition to the complement of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:9 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:10 or to a polypeptide comprising the extracellular region or the transmembrane region of the taste receptor polypeptide in SEQ ID NO:10 and which polypeptide (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:10 wherein said assay comprises: i: screening a compound for its specific binding to said polypeptide or its effect if any on the activation of 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.