Senomyx, Inc.

Other

University of Missouri

Senoymx, Inc.

Min Lu

Bryan Moyer

Albert Zlotnik

Dalia Kalabat

Hortensia Soto

Na Gao

Evan Carl White

Peter Hevezi

Animesh Ray

J Ranjan Perera

Fernando Echeverri

Hong Chang

This invention relates to novel rationale and methods for identifying human and primate taste-specific genes, including genes involved in salty taste perception, especially human salty taste perception, but also genes involved in sweet, bitter, umami, and sour taste perception, and genes involved in other taste cell or taste receptor related activities such as digestive function and digestive related diseases, taste cell turnover, immunoregulation of the oral and digestive tract, and metabolic regulation such as in diabetes and obesity, the genes identified using these methods, and assays for identifying taste modulators (enhancers or blockers) and potential therapeutics using these genes. These compounds have potential application in modulating (enhancing or blocking) taste perception, especially salty taste perception and as potential therapeutics. In addition, this invention relates to novel methods for identifying taste-specific genes that can be used as markers for different taste cell types, including sweet, bitter, umami, sour, salty, and other taste cells in mammals as well as assays that measure the activity of the sweet, bitter, umami, or sour receptor in the presence of these genes to identify modulators of sweet, bitter, umami, and sour taste and to identify therapeutics especially for treating digestive or metabolic disorders, taste loss, and oral infections. Particularly, the genes identified herein and antibodies or oligos thereto can be used as markers to identify and/or purify specific taste cells e.g., from taste cell suspensions by use of FACS or magnetic bead cell selection or other known cell purification and isolation procedures.

Rationale, methods, and assays for identifying human and non-human primate taste specific genes and use thereof in taste modulator and therapeutic screening assays

This invention relates to electrophysiological assays that measure sodium conductance activity of a delta human epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in the presence and absence of delta hENaC enhancers. Also, the invention generally relates to assays for identifying compounds that enhance the activity of delta hENaC, especially in an oocyte expression system. These compounds have potential application in modulating (enhancing) salty taste perception.

Assays and enhancers of the human delta ENaC sodium channel

The present invention provides polynucleotides isolated from eucaryotic organisms which are structural genes or promoters. Such isolated polynucleotides are particularly useful in the modification of gene expression in plants. This invention also relates to compositions isolated from plants and their use in the modification of gene activation and/or expression. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention provides plant polynucleotide sequences encoding promoters that are components of the cellular activation and transcription apparatus and the use of such polynucleotide sequences in the modification of expression of genes.

Polynucleotide sequences from rice

The present invention provides polynucleotides isolated from eucaryotic organisms which are structural genes or promoters. Such isolated polynucleotides are particularly useful in the modification of gene expression in plants. This invention also relates to compositions isolated from plants and their use in the modification of gene activation and/or expression. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention provides plant polynucleotide sequences enconding promoters that are components of the cellular activation and transcription apparatus and the use of such polynucleotide sequences in the modification of expression of genes.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Min Lu