Non-canonical olfactory and vomeronasal receptors

嗅觉神经回路产生数以万计的不同的感知和影响先天行为，如喂养，并在许多哺乳动物中，信息素反应，如战斗和交配。哺乳动物有两个主要的嗅觉组织：主要的嗅觉上皮和犁鼻器，每个都包含大家族的专用感觉受体，并激活不同的神经元回路。我们最近确定了两个非典型的哺乳动物化学感受器的家庭，是不同于以前描述的气味和犁鼻受体。在这项提案中，我们的目标是了解这些新的感觉受体的进化，细胞组织和化学感受野，提供额外的洞察哺乳动物嗅觉的分子机制。公共卫生相关性：项目叙事嗅觉是一个有价值的模型系统，用于研究人类大脑的一般功能，这些功能尚未得到很好的理解，包括感知和行为。此外，神经回路功能障碍是一系列认知和情绪障碍的基础，因此研究感觉回路功能所产生的原则将对人类健康产生广泛的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project Summary Olfactory neural circuits generate tens of thousands of distinct perceptions and influence innate behaviors, such as feeding, and in many mammals, pheromone responses such as fighting and mating. Mammals have two principal olfactory tissues: the main olfactory epithelium and the vomeronasal organ, each of which contains large families of dedicated sensory receptors and activates distinct neuronal circuits. We recently identified two non-canonical families of mammalian chemosensory receptors that are distinct from previously described odorant and vomeronasal receptors. In this proposal, we aim to understand the evolution, cellular organization, and chemoreceptive fields of these novel sensory receptors, to provide additional insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie olfaction in mammals. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Project Narrative Olfaction is a valuable model system to study general functions of the human brain that are not well understood, including perception and behavior. Furthermore, neural circuit dysfunction underlies a range of cognitive and emotional disorders, so principles that emerge from studying sensory circuit function will potentially have a broad impact on human health.