Molecular mechanisms of signal reception and transduction in taste and smell are being studied; particular emphasis is placed on studies of G- protein mediated signaling. Mutagenesis studies of the G-protein alpha- subunit which appears to function in bitter taste reception have revealed detailed structure-function information relevant to the mechanism of G- protein activation. A taste-tissue cDNA library has been constructed and molecular cloning studies indicate that a G-protein gamma-subunit, that closely resembles the major gamma-subunit of photoreceptor cones, is expressed in the circumvallate papilla. Immunolocalization of the novel G- protein gamma-subunit, gamma8, that is found in developing olfactory and vomeronasal neurons has continued. The importance of C-terminal isoprenylation of G-protein gamma-subunits has been investigated through functional characterization of differentially modified beta gamma- heterodimers.
| Nguyen, Minh Q; Zhou, Zhishang; Marks, Carolyn A et al. (2007) Prominent roles for odorant receptor coding sequences in allelic exclusion. Cell 131:1009-17 |
| Huang, Angela L; Chen, Xiaoke; Hoon, Mark A et al. (2006) The cells and logic for mammalian sour taste detection. Nature 442:934-8 |
| Chandrashekar, Jayaram; Hoon, Mark A; Ryba, Nicholas J P et al. (2006) The receptors and cells for mammalian taste. Nature 444:288-94 |
| Mueller, Ken L; Hoon, Mark A; Erlenbach, Isolde et al. (2005) The receptors and coding logic for bitter taste. Nature 434:225-9 |
| Zhang, Yifeng; Hoon, Mark A; Chandrashekar, Jayaram et al. (2003) Coding of sweet, bitter, and umami tastes: different receptor cells sharing similar signaling pathways. Cell 112:293-301 |
| Zhao, Grace Q; Zhang, Yifeng; Hoon, Mark A et al. (2003) The receptors for mammalian sweet and umami taste. Cell 115:255-66 |
| Nelson, Greg; Chandrashekar, Jayaram; Hoon, Mark A et al. (2002) An amino-acid taste receptor. Nature 416:199-202 |
| Martini, S; Silvotti, L; Shirazi, A et al. (2001) Co-expression of putative pheromone receptors in the sensory neurons of the vomeronasal organ. J Neurosci 21:843-8 |
| Nelson, G; Hoon, M A; Chandrashekar, J et al. (2001) Mammalian sweet taste receptors. Cell 106:381-90 |
| Chandrashekar, J; Mueller, K L; Hoon, M A et al. (2000) T2Rs function as bitter taste receptors. Cell 100:703-11 |
Showing the most recent 10 out of 13 publications
