About the Authors

Simone Prandi

Affiliation German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany

Marta Bromke

Affiliation German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany

Sandra Hübner

Affiliation German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany

Anja Voigt

Affiliations German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany, University of Saarland, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Homburg, Germany

Ulrich Boehm

Affiliation University of Saarland, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Homburg, Germany

Wolfgang Meyerhof

Affiliation German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany

Maik Behrens

behrens@dife.de

Affiliation German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. Molecular Genetics, Nuthetal, Germany

Competing Interests

The authors have the following conflicts: 1. The authors WM and MBehrens have filed patents on human bitter taste. Patent details for authors MBehrens and WM: Patent application (Filing-/Priority Date, Inventor): Bitter taste receptors (25.09.2002 WM), Agonists of bitter taste receptors and uses thereof (20.04.2004 MB, WM), Agonists of bitter taste receptors and uses thereof (18.11.2004 WM), Agonists of bitter taste receptors and uses thereof (29.03.2007 MB, WM), Agonists of bitter taste receptors and uses thereof (18.04.2007 WM), Agonists of bitter taste receptors and uses thereof (29.03.2007 MB, WM), Methods for isolating agonists and antagonists of taste receptors (06.03.2009 WM), Agonists and antagonists of bitter taste receptors and uses thereof (28.07.2009 WM), Agonists and antagonists of bitter taste receptors and uses thereof (27.10.2009 MB, WM), Agonists of a bitter taste receptor and uses thereof (17.12.2012, MB, WM). 2. The authors WM and MB are members of the PLoS ONE editorial board. This does not alter their adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: WM M. Behrens. Performed the experiments: SP SH AV M. Bromke. Analyzed the data: SP M. Bromke SH AV WM M. Behrens. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: AV UB. Wrote the paper: M. Bromke WM M. Behrens.