The molecular receptive range of an odorant receptor.
An odor perception is the brain's interpretation of the activation pattern of many peripheral sensory neurons that are differentially sensitive to a wide variety of odors. The sensitivity of these neurons is determined by which of the thousand or so odor receptor proteins they express on their surface. Understanding the odor code thus requires mapping the receptive range of odorant receptors. We have adopted a pharmacological approach that uses a large and diverse pool of odorous compounds to characterize the molecular receptive field of an odor receptor. We found a high specificity for certain molecular features, but high tolerance for others-a strategy that enables the olfactory apparatus to be both highly discriminating, and able to recognize several thousand odorous compounds.
Araneda
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Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
Kini
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Firestein
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D000447:Aldehydes / Q000819:agonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000502:physiology; D008024:Ligands; D015394:Molecular Structure; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000819:agonists* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
D000447:Aldehydes; D008024:Ligands; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C109883:odorant receptor 17; D002244:Carbon; C031639:caprylic aldehyde