The results of these studies point toward a common
mechanism of interaction, in which a fairly large area of positive
charge density on the sweet protein surface binds to patches of
complementary charge on the receptor, thus stabilising its active
conformation. This mode of action is different from that of small
sweeteners, which instead bind a pocket in the Venus Fly Trap
(VFT) domain of the dimeric receptor, but nonetheless elicit the
sweet sensation (Temussi, 2009).