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Related Concept Videos

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...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...
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...
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...
Operon Model01:23

Operon Model

The operon model represents a fundamental mechanism of gene regulation in prokaryotes, enabling coordinated expression of genes involved in related metabolic or functional pathways. Operons consist of structural genes, a promoter, and an operator, with transcription regulated by repressors, activators, and small effector molecules.Structure and Function of OperonsAn operon is a cluster of structural genes transcribed together under the control of a single promoter. The promoter region...
G Protein-coupled Receptors01:15

G Protein-coupled Receptors

G Protein-Coupled Receptors or GPCRs are membrane-bound receptors that transiently associate with heterotrimeric G proteins and induce an appropriate response to sensory stimuli such as light, odors, hormones, cytokines, or neurotransmitters.
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or serpentine receptors, and consist of seven (H1-H7) transmembrane alpha-helices that span the bilayer to form a cylindrical core. The transmembrane helices are connected by three extracellular loops and three...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

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

Opsin, a structural model for olfactory receptors?

Jung Hee Park1, Takefumi Morizumi, Yafang Li

  • 1Division of Biotechnology, Advanced Institute of Environment and Bioscience, College of Environmental & Bioresources Sciences, Chonbuk National University, 570-752 Iksan (Republic of Korea). junghee.park@jbnu.ac.kr.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|September 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Olfactory receptors (ORs) are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that detect odorants. Using opsin structure as a template aids in modeling ORs to understand odorant-receptor interactions.

Keywords:
GPCRhomology modelingolfactory receptorprotein structuresreceptors

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

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

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

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity
12:02

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

Published on: June 2, 2014

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

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Olfactory receptors (ORs) are crucial for detecting odorants, enabling the sense of smell.
  • ORs belong to the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) superfamily, a diverse group of cell surface receptors.
  • Understanding the structural basis of odorant-receptor interaction is key to deciphering olfactory mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the structural basis of odorant-receptor recognition.
  • To leverage GPCR structural information for olfactory receptor modeling.
  • To provide a framework for studying the mechanism of smell.

Main Methods:

  • Homology modeling of olfactory receptors (ORs).
  • Utilizing the known structure of opsin, a visual GPCR, as a modeling template.
  • Analyzing the orthosteric ligand-binding pocket of opsin.

Main Results:

  • The structure of opsin provides a viable template for homology modeling of ORs.
  • This modeling approach allows for detailed investigation of the ligand-binding site in ORs.
  • The study establishes a structural basis for understanding how odorants bind to their receptors.

Conclusions:

  • Opsin's structure serves as a valuable template for OR homology modeling.
  • This methodology facilitates the study of the structural underpinnings of odorant detection.
  • The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of olfactory receptor function and ligand binding.