The location of olfactory receptors within olfactory epithelium is independent of odorant volatility and solubility
2011

Olfactory Receptor Location and Odorant Properties

Sample size: 8 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Abaffy Tatjana, DeFazio Anthony R

Primary Institution: University of Miami

Hypothesis

Olfactory receptors are distributed based on the chemical properties of their ligands.

Conclusion

The location of olfactory receptors within the epithelium is not organized based on the physico-chemical properties of their ligands.

Supporting Evidence

  • Odorants detected by ORs from the dorsal and ventral regions showed overlap in volatility and water solubility.
  • No simple clustering or relationship between chemical properties of odorants could be associated with the different regions of the olfactory epithelium.
  • Microtransplantation method allows for studying receptors from defined regions within the olfactory epithelium.

Takeaway

The study looked at where smell receptors are located in mice and found that it doesn't depend on the type of smells they detect.

Methodology

Micro-transplantation of cilia-enriched plasma membranes from mouse olfactory epithelium into Xenopus oocytes for testing against 100 odorants.

Limitations

The study may not account for all factors influencing olfactory receptor activation.

Participant Demographics

Mice, strain C57BL, age 10-12 months.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.4507

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1756-0500-4-137

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