Taste Receptor Type 2 Member 9 (TAS2R9)

Taste receptor type 2 member 9 is a protein belongs to the family of candidate taste receptors that are members of the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily. These proteins are specifically expressed in the taste receptor cells of the tongue and palate epithelia. They are organized in the genome in clusters and are genetically linked to loci that influence bitter perception in mice and humans. In functional expression studies, they respond to bitter tastants. This gene maps to the taste receptor gene cluster on chromosome 12p13.These candidate taste receptors, which the authors called T2Rs, are organized in the genome in clusters and are genetically linked to loci that influence bitter perception in mice and humans. Each T2R gene encodes a 7-transmembrane receptor protein. The amino acid sequence identities between human and mouse T2Rs range from 46 to 67%.