title: Could humans recognize odor by phonon assisted tunneling?
abstract: Our sense of smell relies on sensitive, selective atomic-scale processes that occur when a scent molecule meets specific receptors in the nose. The physical mechanisms of detection are unclear: odorant shape and size are important, but experiment shows them insufficient. One novel proposal suggests receptors are actuated by inelastic electron tunneling from a donor to an acceptor mediated by the odorant, and provides critical discrimination. We test the physical viability of this mechanism using a simple but general model. With parameter values appropriate for biomolecular systems, we find the proposal consistent both with the underlying physics and with observed features of smell. This mechanism suggests a distinct paradigm for selective molecular interactions at receptors (the swipe card model): recognition and actuation involve size and shape, but also exploit other processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom. j.brookes@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brookes
authors.forename: Filio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hartoutsiou
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Horsfield
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stoneham
mesh_terms: D004583:Electrons; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009812:Odorants; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D018035:Receptors, Odorant