Establishment of a novel bitter taste sensor and screening of bitter taste inhibitor

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25750028
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Takasaki University of Health and Welfare
• Principal Investigator: NAGAI Toshitada 高崎健康福祉大学, 健康福祉学部, 講師 (50451844)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 味覚受容体 / Gタンパク質共役型受容体 / セルベースアッセイ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I tried to establish a novel bitter taste sensor using common measuring instruments such as plate readers, with TGFα shedding assay technology in the study of Inoue et al. At first, it needed to be investigate whether this assay was applicable to bitter taste receptors. So hTAS2R16 and hTAS2R38 bitter taste receptors, which was found to be inhibited by acidic compounds, was assayed with this method.
After various trial, cells expressing hTAS2R16 significantly responded to its ligand, salicin, but that response was very weak. In future, it is necessary to improve response strength and to apply other bitter taste receptors.

Free Research Field

味覚科学