Stable olfactory receptor activation across odor complexity.

ABSTRACT: Mechanisms underlying single odorant activation of specific olfactory receptors are well understood. However, how the olfactory system processes complex odor mixtures at the receptor level remains unclear. This study examined olfactory receptor activation patterns across odor complexities using phosphoTRAP analysis. For most mixtures, receptor activation patterns closely matched the linear sum of individual component responses. However, distinct receptor sets display non-linear responses unexplained by linear models. Mixture responses were generally located between component responses and often aligned with linear predictions, though some deviations indicated non-linear interactions. Total activated receptors remained relatively constant regardless of odor complexity, suggesting efficient

SUBMITTER: Kim M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12613060 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature