title: [Olfactory receptors and odour coding].
abstract: The first step of olfactory detection involves interactions between odorant molecules and neuronal protein receptors. Odour coding results from the combinatory activation of a set of receptors and rests on their clonal expression and olfactory neurone connexion, which lead to formation of a specific sensory map in the cortex. This system, sufficient to discriminate myriads of odorants with a mere 350 different receptors, allows humans to smell molecules that are not natural (new cooking flavours, synthetic chemicals...). The extreme olfactory genome diversity explains the absence of odour semantics. Olfactory receptors are also involved in cellular chemotaxis.
authors.affiliation: Biochimie de l'Olfaction et de la Gustation, UMR de Neurobiologie de l'Olfaction et de la Prise Alimentaire, Inra, Jouy-en-Josas, France. Jean-Claude.Pernollet@jouy.inra.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pernollet
authors.forename: Guenhaël
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Briand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018035:Receptors, Odorant; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins