TAS2R4 explained

Taste receptor type 2 member 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TAS2R4 gene.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Function

This gene encodes a member of a family of candidate taste receptors that are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily and that are specifically expressed by taste receptor cells of the tongue and palate epithelia. These apparently intronless genes encode a 7-transmembrane receptor protein, functioning as a bitter taste receptor. This gene is clustered with another 3 candidate taste receptor genes in chromosome 7 and is genetically linked to loci that influence bitter perception. The geographic distribution of TAS2R4 and TAS2R5 missense allele variants which prevent expression of the receptors is aligned with the distributions of tannin sorghum and the destructive agricultural bird pest in Africa, indicating the role of human taste in developing agroecosystems fitting local environments.^[4]

Ligands

Ligands listed in BitterDB include quinine, parthenolide, denatonium, some non-sugar sweeteners including sucralose and stevioside, and several oligopeptides.

See also

• Taste receptor

Further reading

• Kinnamon SC . A plethora of taste receptors . Neuron . 25 . 3 . 507–10 . March 2000 . 10774719 . 10.1016/S0896-6273(00)81054-5 . free .
• Margolskee RF . Molecular mechanisms of bitter and sweet taste transduction . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 277 . 1 . 1–4 . January 2002 . 11696554 . 10.1074/jbc.R100054200 . free .
• Montmayeur JP, Matsunami H . Receptors for bitter and sweet taste . Current Opinion in Neurobiology . 12 . 4 . 366–71 . August 2002 . 12139982 . 10.1016/S0959-4388(02)00345-8 . 37807140 .
• Firestein S . The good taste of genomics . Nature . 404 . 6778 . 552–3 . April 2000 . 10766221 . 10.1038/35007167 . 35741332 . free .
• Matsunami H, Montmayeur JP, Buck LB . A family of candidate taste receptors in human and mouse . Nature . 404 . 6778 . 601–4 . April 2000 . 10766242 . 10.1038/35007072 . 2000Natur.404..601M . 4336913 .
• Ueda T, Ugawa S, Ishida Y, Shibata Y, Murakami S, Shimada S . Identification of coding single-nucleotide polymorphisms in human taste receptor genes involving bitter tasting . Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications . 285 . 1 . 147–51 . July 2001 . 11437385 . 10.1006/bbrc.2001.5136 .
• Zhang Y, Hoon MA, Chandrashekar J, Mueller KL, Cook B, Wu D, Zuker CS, Ryba NJ . 6 . Coding of sweet, bitter, and umami tastes: different receptor cells sharing similar signaling pathways . Cell . 112 . 3 . 293–301 . February 2003 . 12581520 . 10.1016/S0092-8674(03)00071-0 . 718601 . free .
• Fischer A, Gilad Y, Man O, Pääbo S . Evolution of bitter taste receptors in humans and apes . Molecular Biology and Evolution . 22 . 3 . 432–6 . March 2005 . 15496549 . 10.1093/molbev/msi027 . free .
• Go Y, Satta Y, Takenaka O, Takahata N . Lineage-specific loss of function of bitter taste receptor genes in humans and nonhuman primates . Genetics . 170 . 1 . 313–26 . May 2005 . 15744053 . 1449719 . 10.1534/genetics.104.037523 .

Notes and References

1. Adler E, Hoon MA, Mueller KL, Chandrashekar J, Ryba NJ, Zuker CS . A novel family of mammalian taste receptors . Cell . 100 . 6 . 693–702 . March 2000 . 10761934 . 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80705-9 . 14604586 . free .
2. Chandrashekar J, Mueller KL, Hoon MA, Adler E, Feng L, Guo W, Zuker CS, Ryba NJ . 6 . T2Rs function as bitter taste receptors . Cell . 100 . 6 . 703–11 . March 2000 . 10761935 . 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80706-0 . 7293493 . free .
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: TAS2R4 taste receptor, type 2, member 4.
4. Wu Y, Guo T, Mu Q, Wang J, Li X, Wu Y, Tian B, Wang ML, Bai G, Perumal R, Trick HN, Bean SR, Dweikat IM, Tuinstra MR, Morris G, Tesso TT, Yu J, Li X . 6 . Allelochemicals targeted to balance competing selections in African agroecosystems . Nature Plants . 5 . 12 . 1229–1236 . December 2019 . 31792396 . 10.1038/s41477-019-0563-0 . 208539527 .