Duke University

The University of Tokyo

Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd.

Yoshiro Ishimaru

Hiroaki Matsunami

Momoka Matsunami

Keiko Abe

Tomiko Asakura

Yoichi Kasahara

Masataka Narukawa

A method for screening an active ingredient of a saltiness enhancer, the screening method including the following steps: (i) a step for determining whether a test substance is a compound capable of promoting functional expression of the TMC4 gene or TMC4 protein; and (ii) a step for selecting, as an active ingredient of a saltiness enhancer, a test substance that has been determined in step (i) to be a compound capable of promoting functional expression of the TMC4 gene or TMC4 protein.

Method for screening saltiness enhancer using saltiness receptor

The present invention relates to sour taste receptors and compositions and methods thereof. In particular, the present invention provides assays and methods of screening for ligands specific for sour taste receptors. Additionally, the present invention provides methods for screening for accessory proteins and mutations, polymorphisms and other potential sour taste receptor protein mutations that are associated with disease states, and therapeutic agents, ligands, and modulators of such proteins. The present invention also provides compositions and methods for modulating sour taste receptors in vitro and in vivo.

Methods of identifying ligands to sour-taste receptors comprising PKD1L3 and PKDPKD2L1

Cell lines comprising sour-taste receptors

Sour taste receptor compositions and methods

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiro Ishimaru