Patent ID: 7998692

Claim:
A method for isolating an agonist or antagonist of bitter taste receptor activity comprising: (a) contacting: (i) a polypeptide with a potential antagonist; or (ii) a cell expressing a polypeptide with a potential antagonist; wherein said polypeptide according to (i) or (ii) has bitter taste receptor activity and wherein said polypeptide according to (i) or (ii): (1) comprises SEQ ID NO: 6; or (2) comprises a polypeptide containing only conservative amino acid substitutions in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6, said conservative amino acid substitutions numbering 15 or fewer conservative amino acid substitutions in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6; and (b) determining whether the potential antagonist antagonizes the bitter taste receptor activity of said polypeptide; wherein prior, concomitantly and/or after step (a) said polypeptide according to (i) or said cell according to (ii) is contacted with an agonist selected from the group consisting of chloramphenicol, humulone, diphenylthiourea, picrotoxinin and agonistic derivatives thereof.