title: Mechanisms for sweetness.
abstract: A remarkable amount of information has emerged in the past decade regarding sweet taste physiology. This article reviews these data, with a particular focus on the elucidation of the sweet taste receptor, its location and actions in taste transduction in the mouth, its nontaste functions in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., in enteroendocrine cells), and the brain circuitry involved in the sensory processing of sweet taste. Complications in the use of rodents to model human sweet taste perception and responses are also considered. In addition, information relating to low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) is discussed in the context of these issues. Particular consideration is given to the known effects of LCS on enteroendocrine cell function.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. fernstromjd@upmc.edu
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fernstrom
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Munger
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sclafani
authors.forename: Ivan E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: de Araujo
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molinary
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000502:physiology; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents