Mammals induce an innate aversive response by sensing H+ dissociated from sour substances to prevent the ingestion of harmful substances. Several sour taste candidate receptors have been ruled out over the past decades， only in recent years Otopetrin1 (Otop1) has been identified as a sour taste receptor， and sour taste neurotransmitters and sensing pathways have been discovered. This paper reviewd three sour taste perception pathways， detailing the structure of the Otop1 sour taste receptor and its function. The Otop1 signaling pathway was explained with emphasis on the H+ inward flow blocking the inwardly-rectifying potassium channel 2.1 (Kir2.1) to enhance cell depolarization， the release of the activating sour taste neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine， 5-HT)， and the pathway of sour taste information from the periphery to the centre via. The effects of specific diet， individual differences， transmembrane state perception， and disease on sour taste perception were discussed. The aim was to understand the causes of changes in personal sour taste perception， to provide a theoretical reference for the development of sour foods for different populations and looked forward to future research on unknown signaling pathways in sour taste transmission.