Dear Editor,

Bitter taste perception serves as a vital defense mechanism against potentially harmful substances in humans. Within the subfamily of bitter taste receptors, known as TAS2Rs, there are 25 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), with TAS2R14 garnering significant attention due to its remarkable promiscuity in detecting diverse compounds.¹ Beyond its traditional role in gustatory sensation, TAS2R14 demonstrates remarkable versatility, being expressed not only in taste bud cells but also in various extraoral tissues, including the lungs, smooth muscle cells, heart, and brain.² This broad expression profile, coupled with its wide ligand spectrum, suggests that TAS2R14 may play diverse physiological roles in the human body.

 尊敬的编辑：

苦味感知是抵御人类潜在有害物质的重要防御机制。在称为 TAS2R 的苦味受体亚家族中，有 25 G 蛋白偶联受体 （GPCR），其中 TAS2R14因其在检测不同化合物方面的显著混杂性而受到广泛关注。¹ 除了在味觉中的传统作用外，TAS2R14还表现出非凡的多功能性，不仅在味蕾细胞中表达，还在各种口外组织中表达，包括肺、平滑肌细胞、心脏和大脑。² 这种广泛的表达谱，加上其广泛的配体谱，表明 TAS2R14 可能在人体中发挥多种生理作用。