Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity
Published on: June 2, 2014
Identification of ligands for olfactory receptors by functional expression of a receptor library
D Krautwurst1, K W Yau, R R Reed
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Abstract:
The recognition of odorants by olfactory receptors represents the first stage in odor discrimination. Here, we report the generation of an expression library containing a large and diverse repertoire of mouse olfactory receptor sequences in the transmembrane II-VII region. From this library, 80 chimeric receptors were tested against 26 odorants after transfection into HEK-293 cells. Three receptors were identified to respond to micromolecular concentrations of carvone, (-) citronellal, and limonene, respectively. We also found that the mouse I7 receptor, unlike the rat I7 receptor, prefers heptanal instead of octanal, as a result of a single valine-to-isoleucine substitution. This finding represents the beginning of a molecular understanding of odorant recognition. The identification, on a large scale, of cognate receptor-odorant interactions should provide insight into olfactory coding mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
G Protein-coupled Receptors
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...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory organs,...
Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
The olfactory...

