Olfactory Receptor Neurons
Olfactory Receptor Neurons - Related Videos
05:21
Whole Mount Immunolabeling of Olfactory Receptor Neurons in the Drosophila Antenna
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Cited by 7 •
2014
Herein we describe the process of whole mount immunostaining of Drosophila antennae, which enables us to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the diversification of olfactory receptor neurons (ORN)s.
08:08
Odorant-induced Responses Recorded from Olfactory Receptor Neurons using the Suction Pipette Technique
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Cited by 13 •
2012
Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) convert odor signals first into a receptor current that in turn triggers action potentials that are conveyed to second order neurons in the olfactory bulb. Here we describe the suction pipette technique to record simultaneously the odorant-induced receptor current and action potentials from mouse ORNs.
12:02
High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity
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Cited by 16 •
2014
Olfactory receptor activation patterns encode odor identity, but the lack of published data identifying odorant ligands for mammalian olfactory receptors hinders the development of a comprehensive model of odor coding. This protocol describes a method to facilitate high-throughput identification of olfactory receptor ligands and quantification of receptor activation.
10:16
Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor
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Cited by 7 •
2015
Analyzing the physiological properties of olfactory sensory neurons still faces technical limitations. Here we record them through perforated patch-clamp in an intact preparation of the olfactory epithelium in gene-targeted mice. This technique allows the characterization of membrane properties and responses to specific ligands of neurons expressing defined olfactory receptors.
12:47
Inducing Plasticity of Astrocytic Receptors by Manipulation of Neuronal Firing Rates
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Cited by 8 •
2014
Here we describe an adaptation of protocols used to induce homeostatic plasticity in neurons for the study of plasticity of astrocytic G protein-coupled receptors. Recently used to examine changes in astrocytic group I mGluRs in juvenile mice, the method can be applied to measure scaling of various astrocytic GPCRs, in tissue from adult mice in situ and in vivo, and to gain a better appreciation of the sensitivity of astrocytic receptors to changes in neuronal activity.
FAQs
Cilia extend from the neurons into the olfactory epithelium and carry odorant receptors that contact airborne molecules. This positioning allows ligand binding to initiate intracellular signaling at the sensory surface rather than elsewhere in the cell. As a result, cilia connect environmental chemical detection with the electrical response that carries information toward the nervous system.
Odorant binding activates a G protein, which stimulates adenylyl cyclase and increases cyclic AMP signaling. Cyclic AMP-dependent ion channels then contribute to depolarization of the neuron. This sequence is important because it converts a chemical interaction at the receptor into a neural signal that can be transmitted through the olfactory pathway.
Axons from olfactory receptor neurons pass through the cribriform plate and converge in glomeruli within the olfactory bulb. These convergence points preserve organized patterns of receptor input, giving the nervous system a spatial representation of sensory activity. Studying those patterns helps researchers investigate how molecular receptor activation becomes an interpretable odor code.
They provide a biological system for tracing sensory transduction from odorant-receptor interactions through intracellular signaling and neuronal depolarization. Because the pathway links a defined chemical event with a downstream neural response, researchers can examine how sensory information is transformed at its earliest stage. This makes the cells relevant to broader studies of neural circuit function.
The axons connect the olfactory epithelium with the olfactory bulb by crossing the cribriform plate, creating the anatomical route for early smell-related signaling. Their subsequent convergence in bulb glomeruli organizes receptor-derived input before it enters later neural circuits. This arrangement lets biology research relate epithelial sensory activity to the structure of the olfactory pathway.
Research on these neurons can clarify how smell disorders arise and how neuronal regeneration may occur. Their receptor signaling and axonal organization also provide context for examining sensory coding and neural circuit function. Together, these research directions connect cellular mechanisms with questions about impaired olfaction and the capacity of nervous tissue to restore sensory pathways.