Sweet taste receptor mechanisms.
Chemicals of diverse structures can elicit sweet response in humans, but marked species difference in response to sweet-tasting compounds exists among mammalinan species. In a number of species a distinct group of chorda tympani nerve fibers predominantly responds to sucrose and Na saccharin. Sweet response in certain mammals can be selectively blocked by a number of compounds, including gymnemic acid and ziziphin. Cu and Zn salts also selectively suppress chorda tympani nerve response to sweet stimuli in rodents. Probably Cu2+ and Zn2+ compete with sweet stimuli for binding to receptor molecules. A recent attempt to isolate a protein from monkey tongues revealed the presence of a thaumatin-binding protein of M.W. of approximately 50,000. This protein was predominantly found in taste papillae, with lesser amounts found in non-taste tissue.
D000818:Animals; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008670:Metals / Q000494:pharmacology; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology
D008670:Metals; D013549:Sweetening Agents