Multiple receptor types for amino acids in the carp olfactory cells revealed by quantitative cross-adaptation method

A quantitative method of cross-adaptation was developed to explore the difference in the receptor sites for various amino acids in the carp olfactory receptors. The olfactory responses were measured by recording the stimulant-induced waves from the olfactory bulb. Cross-adaptation was carried out by varying concentrations of amino acids in a wide range. Typical examples of the results obtained are as follows. The response to Thr after Ser was decreased with increasing concentration of Ser applied first and reached the spontaneous level, while that to Thr after Glu was decreased to 77% of the level of the original response with increasing Glu concentration and stayed this constant level with a further increase in Glu concentration. Application of the amino acids in the reverse order gave essentially similar results. Such types of experiments were carried out between various pairs of amino acids. The results obtained suggested that amino acids of very close species (e.g. Thr and Ser, Asp and Glu, Tyr and Phe) stimulate the same respective receptor sites and that amino acids of most other pairs stimulate more or less different receptor sites, although there exist the receptor sites stimulated commonly by both amino acids of one pair. It was concluded that the carp olfactory cells have many different receptor sites stimulated only by one species of amino acid and its close analogues.