Olfactory receptors are sensitive to molecular volume of odorants

• DOI: 10.1101/013516
• Publication Date: 2015-01-15T17:57:10Z
• Authors: Majid Saberi; Hamed Seyed-allaei
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences

To study olfaction, first we should know which physical or chemical properties of odorant molecules determine the response olfactory receptor neurons, and then effect those on combinatorial encoding in system. In this work show that an neuron Drosophila depends molecular volume odorant; The determines upper limits neural response, while actual may depend other molecules. Each prefers a particular volume, with some degree flexibility. These two parameters predict flexibility binding-pocket receptors, are targets structural biology studies. At end argue can affects quality perceived smell via encoding, mask underlying relations between responses suggest way to improve selection odorants further experimental