Monellin, a sweet-tasting protein, and the biochemistry of sweet taste
1980
In order to identify a sugar-binding protein in taste buds which would function as a taste receptor for sugar molecules, labelled monellin was bound to papillae of bovine and human tongues. Monellin is a tropical plant protein 3,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Binding was saturable, inactivated by heat, and inhibited by sucrose or lactose. Monellin was also found to bind to tongue epithelium lacking taste buds. This suggests either the presence of receptors in those areas or non-specific binding. Binding may be the first step in taste sensation. However, the chemical nature of the receptor has yet to be determined, and whether a receptor is specific for a particular taste is still unclear.
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