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Updated: May 5, 2026

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals
Published on: October 31, 2011
LUSH shapes up for a starring role in olfaction
1Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. stowers@scripps.edu
Abstract:
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.
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