What is so special about smell? Olfaction as a model system in neurobiology

摘要: Neurobiology studies mechanisms of cell signalling. A key question is how cells recognise specific signals. In this context, olfaction has become an important experimental system over the past 25 years. The olfactory responds to array structurally diverse stimuli. discovery receptors (ORs), recognising these stimuli, established pathway as part a greater group signalling mediated by G-protein-coupled (GPCRs). GPCRs are largest protein family in mammalian genome and involved numerous fundamental physiological processes. OR exhibits two characteristics that make them excellent model understand GPCRs: its size structural diversity members. Research on binding site investigates what amino acid sequences determine receptor-binding capacity. This promises better understanding basic genetic makeup relates their diversification ligand-binding capacities.