title: The Evolving Neural and Genetic Architecture of Vertebrate Olfaction.
abstract: Evolution sculpts the olfactory nervous system in response to the unique sensory challenges facing each species. In vertebrates, dramatic and diverse adaptations to the chemical environment are possible because of the hierarchical structure of the olfactory receptor (OR) gene superfamily: expansion or contraction of OR subfamilies accompanies major changes in habitat and lifestyle; independent selection on OR subfamilies can permit local adaptation or conserved chemical communication; and genetic variation in single OR genes can alter odor percepts and behaviors driven by precise chemical cues. However, this genetic flexibility contrasts with the relatively fixed neural architecture of the vertebrate olfactory system, which requires that new olfactory receptors integrate into segregated and functionally distinct neural pathways. This organization allows evolution to couple critical chemical signals with selectively advantageous responses, but also constrains relationships between olfactory receptors and behavior. The coevolution of the OR repertoire and the olfactory system therefore reveals general principles of how the brain solves specific sensory problems and how it adapts to new ones.
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Daniel M
authors: DM
authors: Bear
authors: Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors: Jean-Marc
authors: JM
authors: Lassance
authors: Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors: Hopi E
authors: HE
authors: Hoekstra
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: srdatta@hms.harvard.edu.
authors: Sandeep Robert
authors: SR
authors: Datta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018035:Receptors, Odorant