Chemosensation: molecular mechanisms in worms and mammals

Communication with the environment and other animals through chemical cues is an essential process for the survival of many multicellular organisms. Specialized signal transduction pathways are employed in chemodetection and the transformation of information into the electrical signals that elicit behaviors. In organisms as diverse as mice and nematodes, similar molecules are involved in the odorant signaling pathways. Studying the mechanisms of signal transduction in these two systems using biochemical, molecular and genetic approaches has elucidated pathways for odor perception and the roles of specific proteins and second messenger molecules in the signaling cascades.