Sweet Taste: From Reception to Perception

Sweet taste is the most powerful taste modality shaping feeding behavior and influencing homeostasis. This review summarizes data on the reception and encoding of taste signals at the level of taste buds and cerebral centers during the consumption of sweet substances. The main focus of attention is on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying identification of sweet taste and detection of the caloric composition of food, including the role of T1R2/T1R3 membrane protein receptors and the associated intracellular enzyme cascade, along with the metabolic mechanism assessing the concentration of glucose entering the cytoplasm. The genetic aspects of sensitivity to sweetness and the influence of sweet taste receptor gene polymorphism on sensitivity to sugars and low-calorie sweeteners are described. We present results from current studies of the endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine modulation of the reception and perception of sweet taste depending on the metabolic status of the body. A suggestion is made regarding a promising direction of research in this area.