Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiangyu Hao, Hengwu Jiao, Dahu Zou, Qiyang Li, Xiangqun Yuan, Wenbo Liao, Peihua Jiang, Huabin Zhao
Summary: Previous studies have found substantial variation in the number of Tas2r taste receptor genes in vertebrates, with some frog species carrying the largest number. A possible explanation for this is the dietary shift between tadpoles and adults during frog metamorphosis, which may require distinct sets of Tas2r genes. Our study found that amphibians in general possess more Tas2r genes and that around one fifth of the Tas2r genes in the American bullfrog are differentially expressed between tadpoles and adults, suggesting a role of these genes in the ontogenetic dietary shift of frogs.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jeremie Topin, Cedric Bouysset, Jody Pacalon, Yiseul Kim, Mee-Ra Rhyu, Sebastien Fiorucci, Jerome Golebiowski
Summary: Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are a poorly understood subgroup of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), with their experimental structure yet to be determined and key-residues controlling their function mostly unknown. Researchers designed an integrative approach to improve comparative modeling of TAS2Rs.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carme Grau-Bove, Xavier Grau-Bove, Ximena Terra, Santi Garcia-Vallve, Esther Rodriguez-Gallego, Raul Beltran-Debon, M. Teresa Blay, Anna Ardevol, Montserrat Pinent
Summary: Bitter taste receptor hTAS2R5 has a unique functional specificity in humans and its closest functional homolog in mouse is mTas2r144, which is phylogenetically distant from hTAS2R5. There is no consensus about the role of hTAS2R5. Comparison with other species' bitter taste receptors reveals that hTAS2R5 has no ortholog in pig, mouse, or rat genomes.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Tatjana Lang, Oliver Frank, Roman Lang, Thomas Hofmann, Maik Behrens
Summary: Cyclolinopeptides in linseed oil are responsible for its bitterness, and a specific compound called methionine sulfoxide-containing cyclolinopeptide-4 is the main determinant of this bitterness.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cailu Lin, Masafumi Jyotaki, John Quinlan, Shan Feng, Minliang Zhou, Peihua Jiang, Ichiro Matsumoto, Liquan Huang, Yuzo Ninomiya, Robert F. Margolskee, Danielle R. Reed, Hong Wang
Summary: A study showed that the expression of Tas2r genes was significantly upregulated in an inflammation model mimicking bacterial infection, leading to increased neural and behavioral responses to bitter compounds in mice. Single-cell ATAC-seq experiments also revealed cell-type specific chromatin accessibility of Tas2r genes, which was further enhanced by lipopolysaccharide.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Stephen P. Wooding, Vicente A. Ramirez
Summary: This study analyzed the diversity of human bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) on a global scale and found variations among different genes and relatively small differences among populations. This suggests a relaxation of selective pressure on TAS2Rs during human evolution.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabrizio Fierro, Lior Peri, Harald Huebner, Alina Tabor-Schkade, Lukas Waterloo, Stefan Loeber, Tara Pfeiffer, Dorothee Weikert, Tamir Dingjan, Eitan Margulis, Peter Gmeiner, Masha Y. Niv
Summary: The human GPCR family consists of about 800 members activated by hundreds of thousands of compounds. TAS2Rs, the bitter taste receptors, make up a large and distinct subfamily that play a role in various physiological and pathological conditions. Through a mixed experimental/computational methodology, this study aimed to discover new ligands, particularly antagonists, for the TAS2R14 receptor, resulting in the identification of 10 new antagonists and 200 new agonists. The application of this mixed approach demonstrates the potential of medicinal chemistry in exploring TAS2Rs and other promiscuous GPCRs lacking experimental structures.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Thomas Delompre, Christine Belloir, Christophe Martin, Christian Salles, Loic Briand
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms involved in bitterness perception of vitamins and their contribution to the off-taste of nutritional supplements. By combining taste receptor assays and sensory analysis, the researchers identify several vitamins that can stimulate bitter taste receptors. The findings highlight the importance of sensory and biological data in understanding vitamin bitterness.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Roman Lang, Tatjana Lang, Andreas Dunkel, Florian Ziegler, Maik Behrens
Summary: This study quantified bitter compounds in chicory and chicory-based surrogate coffee, identified bitter taste receptors responsive to these compounds, and demonstrated the profound influence of food consumption sequence on perceived bitterness by human volunteers. These findings pave the way for a molecular understanding of mixture effects in empirical meal compositions.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jorge Navarro-Dorado, Belen Climent, Maria Elvira Lopez-Oliva, Maria Pilar Martinez, Marina Hernandez-Martin, Angel Agis-Torres, Paz Recio, Maria Victoria Barahona, Sara Benedito, Vitor S. Fernandes, Medardo Hernandez
Summary: This study investigates the role of bitter taste receptors (TAS2R) in rat corpus cavernosum (CC). The results suggest that TAS2R10 is broadly expressed in the CC smooth muscle and plays a role in promoting smooth muscle relaxation and inhibitory neurotransmission mediated by H2S and NO. TAS2R10 may represent an important therapeutic target in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED).
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sunil Kumar Sukumaran, Salin Raj Palayyan
Summary: Sweet taste is a crucial factor in food intake, but excessive consumption of sugar-derived calories can lead to obesity and other metabolic diseases. Understanding the mechanisms of sweet taste signaling is essential for developing better noncaloric sweeteners. Sweet taste receptor cells have multiple signaling pathways, but the regulation of sweet taste signaling is not fully understood.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuko Kawabata, Shingo Takai, Keisuke Sanematsu, Shusuke Iwata, Fuminori Kawabata, Takashi Kanematsu, Eijiro Jimi, Noriatsu Shigemura
Summary: GPRC5C is an orphan GPCR expressed in various organs, but its function and ligand remain unknown. In this study, GPRC5C was found to be expressed in mouse taste cells, enterocytes, and pancreatic α-cells. Functional imaging assays showed that HEK293 cells expressing GPRC5C and a chimeric G protein α subunit, Gα16-gust44, responded to monosaccharides, disaccharides, and a sugar alcohol with robust intracellular Ca2+ increases. These responses were not observed with artificial sweeteners or sweet-tasting amino acids. The findings suggest that GPRC5C acts as a chemosensor specifically tuned to natural sugars, exhibiting novel "off" responses to saccharide detachment.
Article
Physiology
Yoshiki Nakao, Katsumi Tateno, Yoshitaka Ohtubo
Summary: This study reveals that taste receptor cells generate oscillating depolarization in response to different taste substances, and these oscillations may be linked to the activation of ATP-permeable ion channels.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Adam B. Schroer, Kayla W. Branyan, Joshua D. Gross, Paul D. Chantler, Adam J. Kimple, Aurelie Vandenbeuch, David P. Siderovski
Summary: Studies have shown that the lack of RGS21 in mice reduces their response to tastants mediated by GPCRs, contrary to the in vitro activity of RGS21 as a GAP and inhibitor of T2R signaling. This reduction in tastant-mediated responses is not due to post-ingestive effects, but rather the inactivation of RGS21 in lingual epithelial cells leading to a decreased ability to perceive flavors.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Tuzim Kamila, Korolczuk Agnieszka
Summary: TAS2Rs, crucial for bitterness perception, are not only found in taste bud cells but also in various extra-oral tissues, playing key roles in diverse physiological processes and diseases. Recent studies suggest the therapeutic potential of TAS2Rs as novel targets due to their selectivity and expression profiles.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Philip Pirkwieser, Maik Behrens, Veronika Somoza
Summary: Metallic off-flavors in food products have been a topic of discussion for over 90 years, with diverse causes ranging from micronutrient concentrations to pharmaceutical side effects. The mechanisms behind metallic sensing and its contributions to taste, smell, and trigeminal nerve sensations are still poorly understood.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Johanna Tiroch, Sonja Sterneder, Antonella Di Pizio, Barbara Lieder, Kathrin Hoelz, Ann-Katrin Holik, Marc Pignitter, Maik Behrens, Mark Somoza, Jakob P. Ley, Veronika Somoza
Summary: Recent data has shown that trans-resveratrol (RSV) and rosmarinic acid (RA) have anti-inflammatory effects through modulation of interleukin 6 release, potentially via bitter taste sensing receptors. Co-administration of a bitter taste-masking agent, TAS2R43 antagonist homoeriodictyol (HED), reduced the bitterness of RSV and abolished its IL-6 modulatory effect. Mechanistic experiments revealed TAS2R43 involvement in the effect of HED on RSV-induced proton secretion.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Tatjana Lang, Oliver Frank, Roman Lang, Thomas Hofmann, Maik Behrens
Summary: Cyclolinopeptides in linseed oil are responsible for its bitterness, and a specific compound called methionine sulfoxide-containing cyclolinopeptide-4 is the main determinant of this bitterness.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Maik Behrens, Tatjana Lang
Summary: Taste perception is crucial for evaluating food constituents, and taste receptors also play important non-gustatory functions in tissues outside the oral cavity.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eitan Margulis, Yuli Slavutsky, Tatjana Lang, Maik Behrens, Yuval Benjamini, Masha Y. Niv
Summary: This study developed the BitterMatch algorithm to predict associations between bitter substances and receptors, achieving encouraging results in experiments. The algorithm combines receptor properties and experimental data, making it useful for predicting off-target effects, identifying new ligands, and guiding flavor design.
JOURNAL OF CHEMINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Phil Richter, Karin Sebald, Konrad Fischer, Maik Behrens, Angelika Schnieke, Veronika Somoza
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether non-bitter casein is degraded into bitter peptides that stimulate gastric acid secretion. An in vitro model of gastric digestion and casein-fed pig experiments confirmed this process, while sensory analyses and in vitro screening validated the bitterness of the peptides. Functional involvement of TAS2R16 and TAS2R38 gene expression with the peptides was confirmed in HGT-1 cells. These findings are important for understanding protein digestion and its application in dietary context.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Corinna M. Deck, Maik Behrens, Martin Wendelin, Jakob P. Ley, Gerhard E. Krammer, Barbara Lieder
Summary: This study investigated the impact of different binding sites of agonists and antagonists on the temporal sensory properties of sweet tasting compounds. The results suggest that the binding site does not have a major effect on the time-intensity profile of the tested sweeteners.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Roman Lang, Tatjana Lang, Andreas Dunkel, Florian Ziegler, Maik Behrens
Summary: This study quantified bitter compounds in chicory and chicory-based surrogate coffee, identified bitter taste receptors responsive to these compounds, and demonstrated the profound influence of food consumption sequence on perceived bitterness by human volunteers. These findings pave the way for a molecular understanding of mixture effects in empirical meal compositions.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Eitan Margulis, Tatjana Lang, Anne Tromelin, Evgenii Ziaikin, Maik Behrens, Masha Y. Niv
Summary: Flavor is perceived through multiple systems and receptors, with some cross-reactivity between taste and odor receptors. This study predicts the bitterness and taste receptor targets of thousands of odorants, finding that a small percentage have a bitter taste and even fewer are intensely bitter. Bitter odorants are more commonly associated with unpleasant smells, while non-bitter odorants often have pleasant smells. The main bitter receptor for odorants is predicted to be TAS2R14, and its activity may have physiological implications through the expression of taste and smell receptors.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Johanna Tiroch, Andreas Dunkel, Sonja Sterneder, Sofie Zehentner, Maik Behrens, Antonella Di Pizio, Jakob P. Ley, Barbara Lieder, Veronika Somoza
Summary: Human gingival fibroblast cells (HGF-1 cells) are an important cell model for studying the response of gingiva to inflammatory stimuli. Recently, it was found that trans-resveratrol can repress the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, in HGF-1 cells stimulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg-LPS), through the involvement of TAS2R50 bitter taste sensing receptor. This study aims to investigate the association between a compound's bitter taste threshold and its repressing effect on Pg-LPS evoked IL-6 release by HGF-1 cells.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Tatjana Lang, Antonella Di Pizio, Davide Risso, Dennis Drayna, Maik Behrens
Summary: Humans have about 25 bitter taste receptor genes (TAS2R) to avoid ingestion of harmful substances. Variations in these genes contribute to individual differences in bitter tasting abilities. TAS2R2, initially considered a pseudogene, has been found to be a functional bitter taste receptor in some populations.
MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Florian Ziegler, Alexandra Steuer, Antonella Di Pizio, Maik Behrens
Summary: Besides the oral cavity, bitter taste receptors can also be found in non-gustatory tissues. In this study, functional experiments combined with molecular modeling were conducted to investigate the activation of human and mouse bitter taste receptors by bile acids. The results showed that several receptors were responsive to bile acids at concentrations found in human body fluids, suggesting a potential physiological role of non-gustatory bitter receptors as sensors for endogenous bile acid levels.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Praveen Kumar, Ulrike Redel, Tatjana Lang, Sigrun I. Korsching, Maik Behrens
Summary: Despite previous assumptions about the inferior bitter tasting abilities of birds, recent studies have shown that zebra finches exhibit strong bitter tasting capabilities. By investigating a specific bitter taste receptor in zebra finches, researchers have identified several new bitter agonists, suggesting that the bitter recognition profile of zebra finches is more diverse than previously thought. The most potent bitter agonist found in this study is cucurbitacin I, highlighting the ecological importance of this compound for zebra finches.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francisca Noya-Leal, Nikkie van der Wielen, Maik Behrens, Sven Rouschop, Jeroen van Arkel, Maarten Jongsma, Renger Witkamp, Jurriaan J. Mes, Shanna Bastiaan-Net, Jocelijn Meijerink
Summary: The hormone GLP-1 stimulates pancreatic secretion and the involvement of bitter taste receptors and their associated signal transduction pathways in its release are discovered. GABA and 6-methoxyflavanone are also found to modulate the rebA-induced GLP-1 secretion.
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Stephen P. Wooding, Vicente A. Ramirez, Maik Behrens
Summary: Bitter taste perception serves as a vital warning system for animals to avoid toxins in the environment, especially those found in plants. This evolutionary process has left genetic signatures that continue to shape food preferences, consumption habits, and overall health in both animals and humans. Individual differences in taste sensitivity, driven by allelic variation in TAS2Rs, contribute to susceptibility or resistance to certain diseases.
EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)