title: The human bitter taste receptor hTAS2R50 is activated by the two natural bitter terpenoids andrographolide and amarogentin.
abstract: Bitterness perception in mammals is mediated through activation of dedicated bitter taste receptors located in the oral cavity. Genomic analyses revealed the existence of orthologous mammalian bitter taste receptor genes, which presumably recognize the same compounds in different species, as well as species-specific receptor gene expansions believed to fulfill a critical role during evolution. In man, 8 of the 25 bitter taste receptors (hTAS2Rs) are closely related members of such an expanded subfamily of receptor genes. This study identified two natural bitter terpenoids, andrographolide and amarogentin, that are agonists for the orphan receptor hTAS2R50, the most distant member of the subfamily. This paper presents the pharmacological characterization of this receptor and analyzes its functional relationship with the previously deorphaned hTAS2R43, hTAS2R44, hTAS2R46, and hTAS2R47. Insights into the general breadth of tuning, functional redundancies, and relationships between pharmacological activation patterns and amino acid homologies for this receptor subfamily are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: Maik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behrens
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brockhoff
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Batram
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Appendino
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meyerhof
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005960:Glucosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D039823:Iridoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2
chemical_list: D004224:Diterpenes; D005960:Glucosides; D039823:Iridoids; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2; C030419:andrographolide; C102609:amarogentin