In vivo patterns of receptor activation by odorants

This project introduces a new in vivo assay that allows the identification of the odorant receptors activated in vivo by any odorant. For the first time, it is possible to identify in one experiment many receptors activated by an odorant. This will greatly accelerate the identification of receptors sensitive to any odorant chemical and allows testing of hypotheses about the patterns of receptors activated by odorants, the major theme of the application. The first aim tests whether perceptually similar but structurally distinct odorants activate sets of receptors that overlap more than the sets of receptors activated by perceptually distinct but structurally similar odorants. How odorant concentration affects the pattern of receptors activated is the second aim, while the third aim tests hypotheses about the similarities of receptor patterns activated by complex odor mixtures that are difficult to discriminate versus those that are easier to discriminate. The results of these experiments should provide a much greater mechanistic understanding of how the world of odors is perceived as well as guide future work on how to modify these perceptions in ways that benefit humans.