Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 6, 2026
06:32
Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
Published on: June 5, 2017
7.5K
Olfactory GPCRs through the lens of structural bioinformatics
Alessandro Nicoli1,2, Florian Bößl1,2, Antonella Di Concilio Moschen1,2
1Section In Silico Biology & Machine Learning, Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany.
Chemical Senses
|October 30, 2025
Summary
This review highlights advancements in olfactory G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) using structural bioinformatics and AI. These tools are crucial for understanding olfaction and developing new drugs for olfactory receptors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience and Pharmacology
- Structural Bioinformatics
Background:
- Olfactory perception, mediated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) like odorant receptors (ORs) and trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), is vital for health and disease biomarker discovery.
- Most olfactory GPCRs remain poorly understood, with many ORs and TAARs classified as orphan receptors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of recent progress in the structural bioinformatics of olfactory GPCRs.
- To explore how computational, structure-based approaches have identified novel modulators for olfactory receptors.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent breakthroughs in GPCR structural biology, including experimental structures of ORs and TAARs.
- Analysis of the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven structure prediction tools on olfactory receptor research.
Main Results:
- Computational strategies have successfully identified novel modulators for olfactory receptors.
- Recent structural biology studies have resolved the first experimental structures of ORs and TAARs.
- AI tools are transforming the study of olfactory receptor structures.
Conclusions:
- Structural bioinformatics and AI are essential for advancing our understanding of olfactory GPCRs.
- These advancements pave the way for future research in olfaction pharmacology and the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
11.1K
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...
11.1K
01:25Olfaction
47.9K
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...
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
47.9K
01:15G Protein-coupled Receptors
16.3K
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...
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...
16.3K
01:20Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
12.1K
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...
The olfactory...
12.1K
01:30Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors
3.8K
G Protein–Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are membrane-bound receptors that transiently associate with heterotrimeric G proteins and induce an appropriate response to various stimuli. GPCRs regulate critical physiological pathways and are excellent drug targets for treating diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression, or Alzheimer's. Nearly 35% of approved drugs implement their therapeutic effects by selectively interacting with specific GPCRs.
GPCRs are also called heptahelical,...
GPCRs are also called heptahelical,...
3.8K
01:21G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
5.5K
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...
Sensory...
5.5K