Taste receptor type 2 member 46 (TAS2R46)

Taste receptor type 2 member 46 (TAS2R46) is a G protein-coupled receptor primarily responsible for detecting bitter compounds in humans[1][2][3]. It is highly tuned to a broad array of bitter substances, such as sesquiterpene lactones and related diterpenoids[1]. While canonically expressed in taste receptor cells of the tongue—where it mediates the perception of bitterness—it is also found in a wide variety of extra-oral tissues, including skeletal muscle, bone marrow stromal cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells[1][2][4][5]. In these non-tasting contexts, TAS2R46 is implicated in signaling pathways that influence intracellular calcium dynamics, muscle contraction, immune responses, and possibly metabolic regulation[1][4][5]. Known pharmaceutical ligands include atropine and strychnine[1], the latter being a potent toxin and research tool. Mutations and polymorphisms in TAS2R46 have been associated with conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease and are of interest as potential biomarkers[1][2]. The solved cryo-EM structure of TAS2R46 (PDB: 7xp6, 7xp5, 7xp4) provides a template for understanding its activation and ligand recognition[1][3]. Given its broad tissue distribution and diverse physiological implications, TAS2R46 is a biologically significant receptor with emerging therapeutic and diagnostic potential[1][2][4][5].

Other names

Taste 2 receptor member 46T2R46Taste receptor type 2 member 54T2R54

Agonist binding (activation by bitter compounds), G protein signaling (activation of gustducin), Activation of phospholipase C beta-2 (PLCβ2), Modulation of TRPM5 ion channel activity, cAMP/EPAC pathway modulation (in skeletal muscle)