Sugar-sensing swodkoreceptors

Understanding how cells sense sugar is a fundamental question in biology and is pivotal for the evolution of life. In numerous organisms, sugar molecules constitute a primary source of energy generation. Consequently, the mechanisms governing sugar sensation in various microorganisms and animals have been experimentally elucidated. However, sugar sensation has primarily been investigated in specialized sensory cells such as taste buds, taste organs, or sensory neurons. These cells detect extracellular sugar through membrane-bound ‘sugar or sweet receptors’ or ‘gustatory receptors’. However, in addition to these membrane receptors, sugar molecules can also be sensed via other sugar-binding non-membrane signaling proteins. Utilizing a supermarket employee analogy, I present my rationale for why glucokinase may not be the optimal glucose sensor. Additionally, to encapsulate all sugar-sensing proteins capable of detecting and signaling irrespective of their cellular location, I propose the term ‘swodkoreceptor’, derived from the Polish word ‘Słodkie’ meaning ‘Sweet’. This proposal aims to facilitate the exploration of the identity and function of all swodkoreceptors for all the sugar molecules, akin to research that identified the bacterial Lac repressor as the allolactose swodkoreceptor and the Liver X receptor as one of the mammalian glucose swodkoreceptor.