Non-canonical olfactory and vomeronasal receptors

嗅觉神经回路产生成千上万种不同的感知并影响先天行为，如进食，以及许多哺乳动物的信息素反应，如战斗和交配。哺乳动物有两个主要的嗅觉组织：主嗅觉上皮和犁鼻器官，它们都包含大量的专用感觉受体，并激活不同的神经回路。我们最近发现了两个非规范的哺乳动物化学感觉受体家族，它们不同于先前描述的气味和犁鼻受体。在这个提议中，我们的目标是了解这些新型感觉受体的进化，细胞组织和化学感受场，为哺乳动物嗅觉的分子机制提供更多的见解。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，包括感知和行为，这些功能尚未得到很好的理解。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产生的原理将可能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.