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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...
Global Regulatory Systems01:28

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
09:11

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Published on: October 2, 2017

A regulatory code for neuron-specific odor receptor expression.

Anandasankar Ray1, Wynand van der Goes van Naters, John R Carlson

  • 1Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.

Plos Biology
|October 14, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Fruit flies use a "zip code" system of gene regulation to ensure olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) express the correct odor receptors. This precise mechanism for olfactory receptor gene expression is highly conserved across species.

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Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
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Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

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Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
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Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 10, 2026

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
09:11

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Published on: October 2, 2017

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
06:32

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

Published on: June 5, 2017

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
09:53

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in Drosophila must precisely select which odor receptors to express from a large repertoire.
  • This process forms a stereotyped map between odor receptors and neurons, but the underlying gene regulation is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify conserved regulatory elements controlling odor receptor gene expression in Drosophila maxillary palp ORNs.
  • To elucidate the regulatory logic governing the selection of specific odor receptors by individual ORNs.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of genome sequences from 12 Drosophila species.
  • Systematic identification of evolutionarily conserved, gene-specific regulatory elements.
  • Genetic analysis of identified regulatory elements and transcription factors.

Main Results:

  • Identified conserved regulatory elements acting as a "zip code" for each odor receptor gene, promoting expression in specific ORN subsets and restricting it to single classes.
  • Discovered the transcription factor Scalloped mediates repressive functions in this process.
  • Observed remarkable conservation of maxillary palp ORN organization and odor response spectra over millions of years, despite less conserved receptor sequences.

Conclusions:

  • The study defines the regulatory logic for odor receptor gene selection in Drosophila maxillary palp ORNs.
  • Conserved regulatory elements and transcription factors play crucial roles in establishing the olfactory map.
  • The long-term evolutionary stability of olfactory perception highlights the importance of this regulatory system.