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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

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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.
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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

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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...
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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.
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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 23, 2026

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

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An Expression Refinement Process Ensures Singular Odorant Receptor Gene Choice.

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor1, Mohammed J Al Nufal1, Maha V Agha1

  • 1Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar.

Current Biology : CB
|April 5, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Olfactory sensory neurons normally express one odorant receptor (OR) gene. This study reveals a post-selection refinement (PSR) process that corrects errors, ensuring single OR expression and unique neuronal identity.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Mammalian olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) select one odorant receptor (OR) allele from over 1,000 genes for monoallelic expression.
  • This selection is crucial for forming the olfactory circuit from the nose to the brain.
  • Current models propose a two-step process: initial random OR activation followed by feedback suppression, with a known failure rate leading to multiple OR activations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying the correction of multiple OR allele activation in OSNs.
  • To identify novel regulatory processes that ensure monogenic OR expression and unique neuronal identity.
  • To elucidate the role of post-selection refinement (PSR) in OR gene choice.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a genetic approach in a tetM71tg mouse model system.
  • The tetM71tg model expresses the M71 OR in >95% of mature OSNs, suppressing endogenous OR repertoire expression.
  • Analyzed the efficiency of the post-selection refinement (PSR) process in correcting multigenic OR expression.

Main Results:

  • Provided clear evidence for a post-selection refinement (PSR) process that corrects adventitious activation of multiple OR alleles.
  • Demonstrated that PSR restores monogenic OR expression and unique neuronal identity.
  • Showed that PSR efficiency is correlated with OR expression level, suggesting a competitive mechanism.

Conclusions:

  • A novel post-selection refinement (PSR) mechanism exists to ensure singular odorant receptor (OR) expression in olfactory sensory neurons.
  • This refinement process corrects initial errors in OR gene selection, maintaining neuronal identity.
  • The efficiency of PSR is linked to OR expression levels, highlighting a competitive process in OR gene choice.