LUSH shapes up for a starring role in olfaction.
In the fruit fly Drosophila, odorant-binding proteins are secreted into the fluid that bathes olfactory neurons. Laughlin et al. (2008) now challenge the assumption that the odorant-binding protein LUSH passively transports its pheromone to a specific olfactory receptor. Instead, LUSH undergoes a conformational change upon pheromone binding that is sufficient for neuronal activation.
Stowers
Lisa
L
Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. stowers@scripps.edu
Logan
Darren W
DW
D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012903:Smell
D010675:Pheromones; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; C045648:odorant-binding protein