Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

7.9K
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...
7.9K
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

8.7K
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...
8.7K
Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

44.2K
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...
44.2K
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

4.5K
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...
4.5K
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

277
Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex.
277
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

5.5K
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
5.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

An enteric neuron ionotropic receptor regulates salt stress resistance.

Nature·2026
Same author

Alkyne Two-Phase Strategy: Rapid Generation of TK-285-Derived PROTACs as BRD4 Degraders.

Journal of medicinal chemistry·2026
Same author

Molecular simulation-based 3D structural construction of olfactory receptor with agonist binding.

Journal of computer-aided molecular design·2025
Same author

Catalytic Photooxygenation Demonstrates Therapeutic Efficacy in Transthyretin Amyloidosis.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2025
Same author

Synthesis of a Light-Up Probe with a Trioxazole Skeleton for Tracking G-Quadruplex Dynamic Behavior.

Analytical chemistry·2025
Same author

Construction of PROTAC-Mediated Ternary Complex Structure Distribution Profiles Using Extensive Conformational Search.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2025

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

12.4K

Predicting human olfactory perception by odorant structure and receptor activation profile.

Yusuke Ihara1, Chiori Ijichi1, Yasuko Nogi1

  • 1Institute of Food Sciences and Technologies, AJINOMOTO CO., INC., Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.

Chemical Senses
|January 31, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Understanding human olfaction requires predicting odor perception from molecular structure. This study links olfactory receptor (OR) activity profiles and 3D molecular shapes to odor similarity, advancing predictive models for scent perception.

Keywords:
molecular representationolfactory receptorpredictive modelthree-dimensional structure

More Related Videos

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

7.0K
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

8.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 30, 2025

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

12.4K
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

7.0K
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

8.9K

Area of Science:

  • Chemosensory science
  • Computational chemistry
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Human olfaction precisely discriminates a vast range of odors via olfactory receptors (ORs) interacting with odorant molecules.
  • Current methods linking OR activity to odor descriptors or using 2D molecular representations offer limited predictive power for complex olfactory perception.
  • A comprehensive understanding necessitates exploring structure-activity relationships (SAR) that correlate molecular structures, OR activity, and perceived odor similarity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between molecular structures, OR activity profiles, and perceptual odor similarity for eugenol, vanillin, and related compounds.
  • To develop predictive models for odor perception based on OR activity and 3D molecular structural features.
  • To identify key molecular features driving sensory similarities in odorants.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted SAR analyses on eugenol, vanillin, and similar compounds, measuring OR activity profiles.
  • Developed a prediction model for eugenol-similarity scores using OR activity profiles (R2 = 0.687).
  • Represented odorant molecules using 3D shapes and pharmacophore fingerprints to analyze structural similarities and predict perceptual odor similarity (R2 = 0.514).

Main Results:

  • Structurally similar compounds primarily activated a specific set of 6 ORs, with activity profiles correlating to perception.
  • OR activity profiles successfully predicted eugenol-similarity scores.
  • 3D molecular shape and pharmacophore fingerprints effectively predicted perceptual odor similarity.
  • Identified critical molecular structural features influencing sensory similarity predictions.

Conclusions:

  • Developed models that predict odor perception from OR activity profiles and 3D odorant structures.
  • These models can help understand olfactory perception by simplifying vast odorant information into OR activity profiles.
  • The findings offer a pathway to better predict and understand the nuances of human scent perception.