Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular genetics of mammalian olfaction

  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Olfaction plays a crucial role in the survival of most animal species; it is remarkable in its ability to recognize and discriminate numerous airborne molecules, yet is one of the least understood senses. The advent of molecular genetic approaches has greatly contributed to disclosing some of the mysteries in olfaction. The identification of olfactory-specific proteins, the discovery of the large receptor gene family, and the first insight into the mechanisms governing chemosensory gene expression hold great promise for an eventually detailed understanding of a sensory system that was previously considered as hardly accessible for research at the molecular level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bakalyar, H. A., and Reed, R. R. (1990). Identification of a specialized adenylate cyclase that may mediate odorant detection.Science 250:1403–1406.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Arie, N., Lancet, D., Taylor, C., Khen, M., Walker, N., Ledbetter, D. H., Carrozzo, R., Patel, K., Sheer, D., Lehrach, H., and North, M. A. (1994). Olfactory receptor gene cluster on human chromosome 17: Possible duplication of an ancestral receptor repertoire.Hum. Mol. Genet. 3:229–235.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bignetti, E., Cavaggioni, A., Pelosi, P., Persaud, K. C., Sorbi, R. T., and Tirindelli, R. (1985). Purification and characterization of an odorant-binding protein from cow nasal tissue.Eur. J. Biochem. 149:227–231.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boekhoff, I., Tareilus, E., Strotmann, J., and Breer, H. (1990). Rapid activation of alternative second messenger pathways in olfactory cilia from rats by different odorants.EMBO J. 9:2453–2458.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Breer, H., and Boekhoff, I. (1992). Second messenger signalling in olfaction.Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 2:439–443.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Breer, H., Boekhoff, I., and Tareilus, E. (1990). Rapid kinetics of second messenger formation in olfactory transduction.Nature 345:65–68.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buck, L., and Axel, R. (1991). A novel multigene family may encode odorant receptors: A molecular basis for odor recognition.Cell 65:175–187.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buiakova, O. I. (1994). Human and rodent OMP genes: Conservation of structural and regulatory motifs and cellular localization.Genomics 20:452–462.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chess, A., Simon, I., Cedar, H., and Axel, R. (1994) Allelic inactivation regulates olfactory receptor gene expression.Cell 78:823–834.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, A. M., Ryugo, D. K., Sharp, A. H., Reed, R. R., Snyder, S. H., and Ronnett, G. V. (1993). Neuronal inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor localized to the plasma membrane of olfactory cilia.Neuroscience 57:339–352.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danciger, E., Mettling, C., Vidal, M., Morris, M., and Margolis, F. L. (1989). Olfactory marker protein gene: Its structure and olfactory neuron-specific expression in transgenic mice.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:8565–8569.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dear, T. N., Campbell, K., and Rabbitts, T. H. (1991). Molecular cloning of putative odorant-binding and odorant-metabolizing proteins.Biochemistry 30:10376–10382.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhallan, R. S., Yau, K. W., Schrader, K. A., and Reed, R. R. (1990). Primary structure and functional expression of a cyclic nucleotide-activated channel from olfactory neurons.Nature 347:184–187.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D. A., Mather, R. A., and Dodd, G. H. (1988). Spatial variation in response to odorants on the rat olfactory epithelium.Experientia 44:208–211.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farbman, A. J., and Margolis, F. L. (1980). Olfactory marker protein during ontogeny: Immunohistochemical localisation.Dev. Biol. 74:205–215.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Felicioli, A., Ganni, M., Garibotti, M., and Pelosi, P. (1993). Multiple types and forms of odorant-binding proteins in the old-world porcupine Hystrix cristata.Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 105B:755–784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestein, S. (1992). Electrical signals in olfactory transduction.Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 2:444–448.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D. T., and Reed, R. R. (1989). G-olf: An olfactory neuron specific G-protein involved in odorant signal transduction.Science 244:790–795.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kauer, J. S. (1991). Contributions of topography and parallel processing to odor coding in the vertebrate olfactory pathway.Trends Neurosci. 14:79–85.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kent, P. F., and Mozell, M. M. (1992). The recording of odorant-induced mucosal activity patterns with a voltage-sensitive dye.J. Neurophysiol. 68:1804–1819.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krieger, J., Schleicher, S., Strotmann J., Wanner, I., Boekhoff, I., Raming, K., DeGeus, P., and Breer, H. (1994). Probing olfactory receptors with sequence-specific antibodies.Eur. J. Biochem. 219:829–835.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krieger, J., Raming, K., and Breer, H. (1991). Cloning of genomic and complementary DNA encoding insect pheromone binding proteins: Evidence for microdiversity.Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1088:277–284.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krieger, J., Gänssle, H., Raming, K., and Breer, H. (1993). Odorant binding proteins of Heliothis virescens.Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 23:449–456.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kudrychki, K., Stein-Izsak, C., Behn, C., Grillo, M., Akeson, R., and Margolis, F. L. (1993). Olf-1-binding site: Characterization of an olfactory neuron-specific promoter motif.Mol. Cell. Biol. 13:3002–3014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancet, D. (1986). Vertebrate olfactory reception.Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 9:329–355.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lancet, D. (1994). Olfactory receptors: A gene superfamily with a brain interface. In Elsner, N., and Breer, H. (eds.),Sensory Transduction, Thieme, Stuttgart, pp. 63–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancet, D., and Ben-Arie, N. (1993). Olfactory receptors.Curr. Biol. 3:668–674.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lancet, D., Sadovsky, E., and Seidemann, E. (1993). Probability model for molecular recognition in biological receptor repertoires: Significance to the olfactory system.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:3715–3719.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, H. K., Wells, R. G., and Reed, R. R. (1987). Isolation of an olfactory cDNA: Similarity to retinol binding protein suggests a role in olfaction.Science 253:1053–1056.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy, N. S., Bakalyar, H. A., and Reed, R. R. (1991). Signal transduction in olfactory neurons.J. Steroid. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 39:633–637.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig, J., Margalit, T., Eismann, E., Lancet, D., and Kaupp, U. B. (1990). Primary structure of cAMP-gated channel from bovine olfactory epithelium.FEBS Lett. 270:24–29.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Macky-Sim, A., and Kesteven, S. (1994). Topographic patterns of responsiveness to odorants in the rat olfactory epithelium.J. Neurophysiol. 71:150–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, F. L. (1985). Olfactory marker protein: From PAGE band to cDNA clone.Trends Neurosci. 8:542–546.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, F. L. (1993). Regulation of olfactory neuron gene expression.Cytotechnology 11:17–22.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, F. L., Kudrycki, K., Stein-Izsak, C., Grillo, M., and Akeson, R. (1993). From genotype to olfactory neuron phenotype: The role of the Olf-1-binding site. In Chadwick, D., Marsh, J., and Goode, J. (eds.),The Molecular Basis of Smell and Taste Transduction, Wiley, Chichester pp. 3–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monaco, H. L., and Zanotti, G. (1992). Three-dimensional structure and active site of three hydrophobic molecule-binding proteins with significant amino acid sequence similarity.Biopolymers 32:457–465.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, T., and Gold, G. H. (1987). A cyclic nucleotide-gated conductance in olfactory receptor cilia.Nature 325: 442–444.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nef, P., Hermans-Borgmeyer, I., Artieres-Pin, H., Beasley, L., Dionne, V. E., and Heinemann, S. F. (1992). Spatial pattern of receptor expression in the olfactory epithelium.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8948–8952.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ngai, J., Chess, A., Dowling, M. M., Necles, N., Macagno, E. R., and Axel, R. (1993). Coding of olfactory information: Topography of odorant expression in the catfish olfactory ephithelium.Cell 72:667–680.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pace, U., Hansky, E., Salomon, Y., and Lancet, D. (1985). Odorant-sensitive adenylate cyclase may mediate olfactory reception.Nature 316:255–258.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pelosi, P. (1994). Odorant-binding proteins.Crit. Rev. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 29:199–228.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pelosi, P., and Tirindelli, R. (1989). Structure/activity studies and characterization of an odorant-binding protein. In Brand, J. G., Teeter, J. H., Cagan, R. H., and Kare, M. R. (eds.)Chemical Senses, Vol. 1. Receptor Events and Transduction in Taste and Olfaction, Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 207–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelosi, P., Baldaccini, N. E., and Pisanelli, A. M. (1982). Identification of a specific olfactory receptor for 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine.Biochem. J. 201:245–248.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pevsner, J., Hou, V., Snowmann, A. M., and Snyder, S. H. (1990). Odorant-binding protein, characterization of ligand binding.J. Biol. Chem. 265:6118–6125.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pevsner, J., Trifiletti, R. R., Strittmatter, S. M., and Snyder, S. H. (1985). Isolation and characterization of an olfactory receptor protein for odorant pyrazines.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:3050–3054.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raming, K., Krieger, J., Strotmann, J., Boekhoff, I., Kubick, S., Baumstark, C., and Breer, H. (1993). Cloning and expression of odorant receptors.Nature 361:353–356.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, R. R. (1992). Signaling pathways in odorant detection.Neuron 8:205–209.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, R. R. (1994). The molecular basis of sensitivity and specificity in olfaction.Semin. Cell Biol. 5:33–38.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ressler, K. J., Sullivan, S. L., and Buck, L. B. (1993). A zonal organization of odorant receptor gene expression in the olfactory epithelium.Cell 73:597–609.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Restrepo, D., Miyamoto, T., Bryant, B. P., and Teeter, J. H. (1990). Odor stimuli trigger influx of calcium into olfactory neurons of the channel catfish.Science 249:1166–1168.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sklar, P. D., Anholt, R. H., and Snyder, S. H. (1986). The odorant-sensitive adenylate cyclase of olfactory receptor cells: Different stimulation by distinct classes of odorants.J. Biol. Chem. 261:15538–15543.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strader, C. D., Sigl, J. S., and Dixon, R. A. P. (1989). Structural basis of β-adrenergic receptor function.FASEB J. 3: 1825–1832.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strotmann, J., Wanner, I., Krieger, J., Raming, K., and Breer, H. (1992). Expression of odorant receptors in spatially restricted subsets of chemosensory neurons.NeuroReport 3:1053–1056.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strotmann, J., Wanner, I., Helfrich, T., Beck, A., Meinken, C., Kubick, S., and Breer, H. (1994a). Olfactory neurones expressing distinct odorant receptor subtypes are spatially segregated in the nasal neuroepitheliumCell Tissue Res. 276:429–438.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strotmann, J., Wanner, I., Helfrich, T., and Breer, H. (1994b). Rostro-caudal patterning of receptor-expressing olfactory neurones in the rat nasal cavity.Cell Tissue Res. 278:11–20.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strotmann, J., Wanner, I., Helfrich, T., and Breer, H. (1995). Receptor expression in olfactory neurons during rat development: In situ hybridisation studies.Eur. J. Neurosci. 7:492–500.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sydor, W., Teitelbaum, Z., Blacher, R., Sun, S., Benz, W., and Margolis, F. L. (1986). Amino acid sequence of a unique protein: Rat olfactory marker protein.Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 249:351–362.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thommesen, G., and Doving, K. B. (1977). Spatial distribution of the EOG in the rat; A variation with odour quality.Acta Physiol. Scand. 99:270–280.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vassar, R., Ngai, J., and Axel, R. (1993). Spatial segregation of odorant receptor expression in the mammalian olfactory epithelium.Cell 74:309–318.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vogt, R. G., Rybczynski, R., and Lerner, M. R. (1990). The biochemistry of odorant reception and transduction. In Schild, D. (ed.),Chemosensory Information Processing, NATO ASI Series H, Vol. 39, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 33–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, M. M., and Reed, R. R. (1993a). Molecular cloning of the olfactory neuronal transcription factor Olf-1 by genetic selection in yeast.Nature 364:121–126.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, M. M., and Reed, R. R. (1993b). Molecular mechanisms of olfactory neuronal gene regulation. In Chadwick, D., Marsh, J., and Goode, J. (eds.),The Molecular Basis of Smell and Taste Transduction, Wiley, Chichester, pp. 68–75.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Zoophysiologie, Universität Stuttgart-Hohenheim, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany

    Heinz Breer, Ina Wanner & Jörg Strotmann

Authors
  1. Heinz Breer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ina Wanner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jörg Strotmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Breer, H., Wanner, I. & Strotmann, J. Molecular genetics of mammalian olfaction. Behav Genet 26, 209–219 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02359381

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02359381

Key words

Search

Navigation