Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!hybrid!scifi!bywater!uunet!aecom!werner
From: werner@aecom.yu.edu (Craig Werner)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Help with Handedness and Taste of Sugars
Message-ID: <2916@aecom.yu.edu>
Date: 14 Jul 90 21:26:02 GMT
References: <655@ecrc.UUCP> <1990Jul10.162638.18896@ioe.lon.ac.uk>
Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY
Lines: 18

In article <1990Jul10.162638.18896@ioe.lon.ac.uk>, teexmmo@ioe.lon.ac.uk (Matthew Moore) writes:
> 
> Can I ask a question instead? (well I will anyaway)
> 
> Is taste a function which uses chemical (and physical) properties, or
> does it use the molecular shape?
> 
	There are two extremely sweet naturally occuring proteins for
which the complete crystal structure is known.  There appears to be
absolutely nothing in common between their structures.  Glucose looks
absolutely nothing like Nutrasweet, yet the latter is very very sweet,
but most other dipeptides are not.
	Nobody really knowns what chemical property defines 'sweet.'
-- 
	        Craig Werner   (future MD/PhD, 5.5 years down, 2.5 to go)
	     werner@aecom.YU.EDU -- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
              (1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517)
                   "Viruses do to cells what Groucho did to Freedonia."