The AH,B glycophore and general taste chemistry

When considered jointly, all tastes (sweet, salt, bitter, sour) are variations on a common electrostatic mechanism, and the primary distinction among them can be traced to the symmetrical nature of the interaction between the substance and the taste receptor. Sourness is a dissymmetric interaction between the hydronium ion (an acidophore) and the taste receptor, whereas saltiness is a concerted symmetrical electrostatic interaction betwen the Na+ and Cl− ions (the halophore) and the receptor. Sweetness is elicited through a bilaterally symmetrical and concerted dipolar interaction between a glycophore and the receptor, while bitterness can be traced to either dissymmetric ionic or dipolar interactions between a picrophore and the receptor. As no products are ever formed, taste phenomena are collectively grouped as being due to electrostatic recognition interactions that can occur between a substance and the receptor without the need for chemical binding.