Odorant receptors of Drosophila are sensitive to the molecular volume of odorants

• DOI: 10.1038/srep25103
• Publication Date: 2016-04-26T09:22:56Z
• Authors: Majid Saberi; Hamed Seyed-allaei
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; Binding Sites; Odorants; Animals; Drosophila Proteins; Drosophila; Models, Theoretical; Receptors, Odorant; Models, Biological; Article; Protein Binding

Which properties of a molecule define its odor? This is basic yet unanswered question regarding the olfactory system. The system Drosophila has repertoire approximately 60 odorant receptors. Molecules bind to receptors with different affinities and activate them efficacies, thus providing combinatorial code that identifies odorants. We hypothesized binding affinity an odorant-receptor pair affected by their relative sizes. maximum can be attained when molecular volume matches pocket. drops zero sizes are too different, obscuring effects other properties. developed mathematical formulation this hypothesis verified it using data. also predicted structural flexibility site each receptor; these features significantly differ between differences in volumes flexibilities receptor sites may explain difference scents similar molecules