Nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in human tas1r1, tas1r3, and mGluR1 and individual taste sensitivity to glutamate.

Several studies indicate an essential role of the heterodimer Tas1R1-Tas1R3 for monosodium l-glutamate (MSG) detection, although others suggest alternative receptors. Human subjects show different taste sensitivities to MSG, and some are unable to detect the presence of glutamate. Our objective was to study possible relations between phenotype (sensitivity to glutamate) and genotype (polymorphisms in candidate glutamate taste receptors tas1r1, tas1r3, mGluR4, and mGluR1) at the individual level.