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GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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TAS2R4
taste 2 receptor member 4
Chromosome 7 · 7q34
NCBI Gene: 50832Ensembl: ENSG00000127364.4HGNC: HGNC:14911UniProt: Q9NYW5
29PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Receptor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
bitter taste receptor activitydetection of chemical stimulus involved in sensory perception of bitter tastemembraneplasma membranetype 2 diabetes mellitusvenous thromboembolismrhinophymabreast cancer
✦AI Summary

TAS2R4 is a G protein-coupled bitter taste receptor that functions as a gustducin-coupled chemosensor for bitter compounds including denatonium and N(6)-propyl-2-thiouracil 1. The receptor signals through phospholipase C β2 (PLCB2) and downstream calcium mobilization to activate the cation channel TRPM5 2. Beyond taste perception in the oral cavity, TAS2R4 exhibits diverse extraoral functions. In the gastrointestinal tract, TAS2R4 responds to bitter peptides formed during gastric digestion, stimulating proton secretion and serotonin release in parietal cells to promote satiety 3. TAS2R4 activation ameliorates diabetic nephropathy by suppressing podocyte injury through inhibition of NF-κB-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation 2. In scalp hair follicles, TAS2R4 stimulation inhibits hair growth via enhanced TGF-β2 production and premature catagen entry 4. TAS2R4 additionally modulates intestinal GDF15 and GLP-1 expression, satiety-promoting hormones relevant to obesity management 5. In airway epithelial cells, TAS2R4 activation increases intracellular calcium and stimulates ciliary beat frequency, contributing to anti-inflammatory effects in allergic airway disease 6. Genetic polymorphisms in TAS2R4 influence bitter taste sensitivity and may predict therapeutic responsiveness to bitter compounds 7. These findings establish TAS2R4 as a promising therapeutic target for metabolic, renal, dermatological, and respiratory disorders.

Sources cited
1
TAS2R4 involvement in gastric acid secretion and serotonin release via bitter peptides from protein digestion
PMID: 40184744
2
TAS2R4 activation alleviates diabetic nephropathy through PLCB2 signaling and suppression of NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome
PMID: 40228633
3
Three-dimensional structure of activated TAS2R4 coupled to G protein and agonists; signal transduction mechanism
PMID: 37529671
4
TAS2R4 expression in hair follicles inhibits hair growth through TGF-β2-mediated catagen entry
PMID: 40097020
5
TAS2R4 mediates bitter compound effects on GDF15 and GLP-1 expression in intestinal epithelial cells; polymorphisms predict responsiveness
PMID: 39111389
6
TAS2R4 agonism in airway epithelium ameliorates allergic airway inflammation
PMID: 39362328
7
TAS2R4 diplotypes influence suprathreshold bitterness ratings; PROP is a weak TAS2R4 agonist
PMID: 38732607
8
TAS2R4 expression increases with aging in descending colon; TAS2R4 expressed along gastrointestinal tract influencing enteroendocrine secretion
PMID: 39512758
Disease Associationsⓘ20
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
venous thromboembolismOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
rhinophymaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
diabetic nephropathyOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
head and neck squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
papillary carcinomaOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
dental cariesOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
papillary thyroid carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
obesityOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Lewy body dementiaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
prostate adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
chronic myelogenous leukemiaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
liver dysplastic noduleOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
HirsutismOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Invasive Breast CarcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
TAS2R42Shared pathway100%TAS2R60Shared pathway100%TAS2R36Shared pathway100%TAS2R33Shared pathway100%TAS2R50Shared pathway100%TAS2R20Shared pathway100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Liver
40%
Brain
34%
Lung
31%
Bone Marrow
14%
Heart
9%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TAS2R4TAS2R42TAS2R60TAS2R36TAS2R33TAS2R50TAS2R20
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9NYW5
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.70LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.15 [0.79–1.70]
RankingsWhere TAS2R4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #12,253of 20,598
    Most Researched29
  • #16,115of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.70
Genes detectedTAS2R4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Bitter peptides formed during in-vitro gastric digestion induce mechanisms of gastric acid secretion and release satiating serotonin via bitter taste receptors TAS2R4 and TAS2R43 in human parietal cells in culture.
PMID: 40184744
Food Chem · 2025
1.00
2
Activation of bitter taste receptor TAS2R4 alleviates diabetic nephropathy in mice.
PMID: 40228633
Biochem Pharmacol · 2025
0.90
3
Predicted structure of fully activated human bitter taste receptor TAS2R4 complexed with G protein and agonists.
PMID: 37529671
QRB Discov · 2021
0.80
4
Human scalp hair follicles can 'taste': chemosensory signalling via the bitter taste receptor TAS2R4 inhibits hair growth ex vivo.
PMID: 40097020
Br J Dermatol · 2025
0.70
5
Bitter-tasting drugs tune GDF15 and GLP-1 expression via bitter taste or motilin receptors in the intestine of patients with obesity.
PMID: 39111389
Mol Metab · 2024
0.60