title: Unravelling the Olfactory Sense: From the Gene to Odor Perception.
abstract: Although neglected by science for a long time, the olfactory sense is now the focus of a panoply of studies that bring new insights and raises interesting questions regarding its functioning. The importance in the clarification of this process is of interest for science, but also motivated by the food and perfume industries boosted by a consumer society with increasingly demands for higher quality standards. In this review, a general overview of the state of art of science regarding the olfactory sense is presented with the main focus on the peripheral olfactory system. Special emphasis will be given to the deorphanization of the olfactory receptors (ORs), a critical issue because the specificity and functional properties of about 90% of human ORs remain unknown mainly due to the difficulties associated with the functional expression of ORs in high yields.
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Silva Teixeira
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO@Requimte/Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal and.
authors.forename: Nuno M F S A
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Cerqueira
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal, Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Institute for Wine Biotechnology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag XI, Matieland 7602, South Africa asferreira@porto.ucp.pt.
authors.forename: António C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Silva Ferreira
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000378:metabolism*; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D018035:Receptors, Odorant
keywords: aroma perception; olfactory GPCRs; olfactory epithelium; olfactory sense