This gene encodes a bitter taste receptor; bitter taste receptors are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily and are specifically expressed by taste receptor cells of the tongue and palate epithelia. Each of these apparently intronless taste receptor genes encodes a 7-transmembrane receptor protein, functioning as a bitter taste receptor. This gene is clustered with another 3 candidate taste receptor genes on chromosome 7 and is genetically linked to loci that influence bitter perception. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].