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Cell-Based System for Identification of Olfactory Receptors

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Bioelectronic Nose

Abstract

The discovery and characterization of odorant receptors (ORs) beginning in the early 1990s have opened up the ability to study olfaction from a molecular perspective. Hundreds of OR genes that differ between organisms exist, and each gene codes for a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that can be activated by a large variety of odorants. Thus, the process of deorphaning, or identifying the cognate ligand(s) for each receptor, is critical for understanding how smells are perceived. This chapter reviews the usage of heterologous systems and associated accessory proteins for expressing ORs in vitro, notably the luciferase assay system for high-throughput OR screening. This in vitro method of characterizing ORs is also compared to ex vivo preparations, with a discussion of advantages and drawbacks of each supported by experimental evidence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Peter Yi Dong, Naihua Natalie Gong & Hiroaki Matsunami

  2. Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Peter Yi Dong

  3. Department of Neurobiology, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Hiroaki Matsunami

Authors
  1. Peter Yi Dong
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  2. Naihua Natalie Gong
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  3. Hiroaki Matsunami
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroaki Matsunami .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Tai Hyun Park

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Dong, P., Gong, N., Matsunami, H. (2014). Cell-Based System for Identification of Olfactory Receptors. In: Park, T. (eds) Bioelectronic Nose. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8613-3_5

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