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Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems
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Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 10628

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lindsey Schier

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Interests: ingestive behavior; taste; chemosensory systems; food learning & memory; gut-brain axis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Olfaction and gustation are the two main sensory systems that subserve nutrition. Our ability to rapidly and accurately sense the odorants and tastants released from foods enables us to locate, select, and ingest the essential compounds required for good health and survival, and avoid those that may be detrimental. Although both chemosensory systems come hardwired to detect these biologically significant substances in the environment, they are also highly plastic, shaped by experience and physiological conditions. Empirical evidence has showcased the sheer complexity of canonical and non-canonical molecular machinery present in chemosensory end organs and pathways, through which their signals are broadcast to higher-order brain areas for integrative processing. However, precise knowledge on how these peripheral and central systems facilitate dynamic sensing and orchestrate adaptive behaviors, as well as how they are in turn regulated by diverse factors (such as genes, diets and disease states across the lifespan), is lacking. For this Special Issue, we invite original research articles and critical reviews that advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that subserve chemosensory function.

Dr. Lindsey Schier
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • taste
  • olfaction
  • gustation
  • odor
  • chemoreception
  • taste bud cells
  • nutrient sensing
  • ingestive behavior
  • olfactory cilia
  • olfactory receptor neurons
  • olfactory bulb
  • gustatory cortex
  • piriform cortex
  • sensory development
  • food learning
  • neural plasticity
  • obesity
  • eating disorders
  • appetite

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4000 KiB  
Article
Development of an rpS6-Based Ex Vivo Assay for the Analysis of Neuronal Activity in Mouse and Human Olfactory Systems
by Emma Broillet-Olivier, Yaëlle Wenger, Noah Gilliand, Hugues Cadas, Sara Sabatasso, Marie-Christine Broillet and Julien Brechbühl
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 13173; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252313173 - 7 Dec 2024
Viewed by 820
Abstract
Olfactory sensitivity to odorant molecules is a complex biological function influenced by both endogenous factors, such as genetic background and physiological state, and exogenous factors, such as environmental conditions. In animals, this vital ability is mediated by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), which are [...] Read more.
Olfactory sensitivity to odorant molecules is a complex biological function influenced by both endogenous factors, such as genetic background and physiological state, and exogenous factors, such as environmental conditions. In animals, this vital ability is mediated by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), which are distributed across several specialized olfactory subsystems depending on the species. Using the phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6) in OSNs following sensory stimulation, we developed an ex vivo assay allowing the simultaneous conditioning and odorant stimulation of different mouse olfactory subsystems, including the main olfactory epithelium, the vomeronasal organ, and the Grueneberg ganglion. This approach enabled us to observe odorant-induced neuronal activity within the different olfactory subsystems and to demonstrate the impact of environmental conditioning, such as temperature variations, on olfactory sensitivity, specifically in the Grueneberg ganglion. We further applied our rpS6-based assay to the human olfactory system and demonstrated its feasibility. Our findings show that analyzing rpS6 signal intensity is a robust and highly reproducible indicator of neuronal activity across various olfactory systems, while avoiding stress and some experimental limitations associated with in vivo exposure. The potential extension of this assay to other conditioning paradigms and olfactory systems, as well as its application to other animal species, including human olfactory diagnostics, is also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems)
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21 pages, 10105 KiB  
Article
Antennal Transcriptome Screening and Identification of Chemosensory Proteins in the Double-Spine European Spruce Bark Beetle, Ips duplicatus (Coleoptera: Scolytinae)
by Jibin Johny, Ewald Große-Wilde, Blanka Kalinová and Amit Roy
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(17), 9513; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179513 - 1 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1513
Abstract
The northern bark beetle, Ips duplicatus, is an emerging economic pest, reportedly infesting various species of spruce (Picea spp.), pine (Pinus spp.), and larch (Larix spp.) in Central Europe. Recent climate changes and inconsistent forest management practices have led [...] Read more.
The northern bark beetle, Ips duplicatus, is an emerging economic pest, reportedly infesting various species of spruce (Picea spp.), pine (Pinus spp.), and larch (Larix spp.) in Central Europe. Recent climate changes and inconsistent forest management practices have led to the rapid spread of this species, leaving the current monitoring strategies inefficient. As understanding the molecular components of pheromone detection is key to developing novel control strategies, we generated antennal transcriptomes from males and females of this species and annotated the chemosensory proteins. We identified putative candidates for 69 odorant receptors (ORs), 50 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 25 gustatory receptors (GRs), 27 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), including a tetramer-OBP, 9 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), and 6 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). However, no sex-specific chemosensory genes were detected. The phylogenetic analysis revealed conserved orthology in bark beetle chemosensory proteins, especially with a major forest pest and co-habitant, Ips typographus. Recent large-scale functional studies in I. typographus chemoreceptors add greater significance to the orthologous sequences reported here. Nevertheless, identifying chemosensory genes in I. duplicatus is valuable to understanding the chemosensory system and its evolution in bark beetles (Coleoptera) and, generally, insects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems)
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30 pages, 9380 KiB  
Article
Olfactory Projections to Locomotor Control Centers in the Sea Lamprey
by Philippe-Antoine Beauséjour, Jean-Christophe Veilleux, Steven Condamine, Barbara S. Zielinski and Réjean Dubuc
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(17), 9370; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179370 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 794
Abstract
Although olfaction is well known to guide animal behavior, the neural circuits underlying the motor responses elicited by olfactory inputs are poorly understood. In the sea lamprey, anatomical evidence shows that olfactory inputs project to the posterior tuberculum (PT), a structure containing dopaminergic [...] Read more.
Although olfaction is well known to guide animal behavior, the neural circuits underlying the motor responses elicited by olfactory inputs are poorly understood. In the sea lamprey, anatomical evidence shows that olfactory inputs project to the posterior tuberculum (PT), a structure containing dopaminergic (DA) neurons homologous to the mammalian ventral tegmental area and the substantia nigra pars compacta. Olfactory inputs travel directly from the medial olfactory bulb (medOB) or indirectly through the main olfactory bulb and the lateral pallium (LPal). Here, we characterized the transmission of olfactory inputs to the PT in the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. Abundant projections from the medOB were observed close to DA neurons of the PT. Moreover, electrophysiological experiments revealed that PT neurons are activated by both the medOB and LPal, and calcium imaging indicated that the olfactory signal is then relayed to the mesencephalic locomotor region to initiate locomotion. In semi-intact preparations, stimulation of the medOB and LPal induced locomotion that was tightly associated with neural activity in the PT. Moreover, PT neurons were active throughout spontaneously occurring locomotor bouts. Altogether, our observations suggest that the medOB and LPal convey olfactory inputs to DA neurons of the PT, which in turn activate the brainstem motor command system to elicit locomotion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems)
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21 pages, 3138 KiB  
Article
Response Plasticity of Drosophila Olfactory Sensory Neurons
by Lorena Halty-deLeon, Venkatesh Pal Mahadevan, Eric Wiesel, Bill S. Hansson and Dieter Wicher
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(13), 7125; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137125 - 28 Jun 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1233
Abstract
In insect olfaction, sensitization refers to the amplification of a weak olfactory signal when the stimulus is repeated within a specific time window. In the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, this occurs already at the periphery, at the level of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) [...] Read more.
In insect olfaction, sensitization refers to the amplification of a weak olfactory signal when the stimulus is repeated within a specific time window. In the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, this occurs already at the periphery, at the level of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) located in the antenna. In our study, we investigate whether sensitization is a widespread property in a set of seven types of OSNs, as well as the mechanisms involved. First, we characterize and compare the differences in spontaneous activity, response velocity and response dynamics, among the selected OSN types. These express different receptors with distinct tuning properties and behavioral relevance. Second, we show that sensitization is not a general property. Among our selected OSN types, it occurs in those responding to more general food odors, while OSNs involved in very specific detection of highly specific ecological cues like pheromones and warning signals show no sensitization. Moreover, we show that mitochondria play an active role in sensitization by contributing to the increase in intracellular Ca2+ upon weak receptor activation. Thus, by using a combination of single sensillum recordings (SSRs), calcium imaging and pharmacology, we widen the understanding of how the olfactory signal is processed at the periphery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems)
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21 pages, 3873 KiB  
Article
Role of iRhom2 in Olfaction: Implications for Odorant Receptor Regulation and Activity-Dependent Adaptation
by Stephanie A. Azzopardi, Hsiu-Yi Lu, Sebastien Monette, Ariana I. Rabinowitsch, Jane E. Salmon, Hiroaki Matsunami and Carl P. Blobel
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(11), 6079; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25116079 - 31 May 2024
Viewed by 1687
Abstract
The cell surface metalloprotease ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17) and its binding partners iRhom2 and iRhom1 (inactive Rhomboid-like proteins 1 and 2) modulate cell–cell interactions by mediating the release of membrane proteins such as TNFα (Tumor necrosis factor α) and EGFR (Epidermal [...] Read more.
The cell surface metalloprotease ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17) and its binding partners iRhom2 and iRhom1 (inactive Rhomboid-like proteins 1 and 2) modulate cell–cell interactions by mediating the release of membrane proteins such as TNFα (Tumor necrosis factor α) and EGFR (Epidermal growth factor receptor) ligands from the cell surface. Most cell types express both iRhoms, though myeloid cells exclusively express iRhom2, and iRhom1 is the main iRhom in the mouse brain. Here, we report that iRhom2 is uniquely expressed in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), highly specialized cells expressing one olfactory receptor (OR) from a repertoire of more than a thousand OR genes in mice. iRhom2-/- mice had no evident morphological defects in the olfactory epithelium (OE), yet RNAseq analysis revealed differential expression of a small subset of ORs. Notably, while the majority of ORs remain unaffected in iRhom2-/- OE, OSNs expressing ORs that are enriched in iRhom2-/- OE showed fewer gene expression changes upon odor environmental changes than the majority of OSNs. Moreover, we discovered an inverse correlation between the expression of iRhom2 compared to OSN activity genes and that odor exposure negatively regulates iRhom2 expression. Given that ORs are specialized G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and many GPCRs activate iRhom2/ADAM17, we investigated if ORs could activate iRhom2/ADAM17. Activation of an olfactory receptor that is ectopically expressed in keratinocytes (OR2AT4) by its agonist Sandalore leads to ERK1/2 phosphorylation, likely via an iRhom2/ADAM17-dependent pathway. Taken together, these findings point to a mechanism by which odor stimulation of OSNs activates iRhom2/ADAM17 catalytic activity, resulting in downstream transcriptional changes to the OR repertoire and activity genes, and driving a negative feedback loop to downregulate iRhom2 expression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems)
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17 pages, 7716 KiB  
Article
EsigPBP3 Was the Important Pheromone-Binding Protein to Recognize Male Pheromones and Key Eucalyptus Volatiles
by Hengfei Fu, Guipeng Xiao, Zhende Yang and Ping Hu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 2940; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052940 - 3 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1627
Abstract
Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are specific odorant-binding proteins that can specifically recognize insect pheromones. Through transcriptional analysis of the antennae of adult Endoclita signifer, EsigPBP3 was discovered and identified, and EsigPBP3 was found to be highly expressed in the antennae of male moths. [...] Read more.
Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are specific odorant-binding proteins that can specifically recognize insect pheromones. Through transcriptional analysis of the antennae of adult Endoclita signifer, EsigPBP3 was discovered and identified, and EsigPBP3 was found to be highly expressed in the antennae of male moths. Based on the binding characteristics and ability of EsigPBP3, we can find the key ligands and binding site to consider as a target to control the key wood bore E. signifier. In this study, the fluorescence competitive binding assays (FCBA) showed that EsigPBP3 had a high binding affinity for seven key eucalyptus volatiles. Molecular docking analysis revealed that EsigPBP3 had the strongest binding affinity for the sexual pheromone component, (3E,7E)-4,7,11-trimethyl-1,3,7,10-dodecatetraene. Furthermore, same as the result of FCBA, the EsigPBP3 exhibited high binding affinities to key eucalyptus volatiles, eucalyptol, α-terpinene, (E)-beta-ocimene, (−)-β-pinene, and (−)-α-pinene, and PHE35, MET7, VAL10, PHE38, ILE52, and PHE118 are key sites. In summary, EsigPBP3 exhibits high binding affinity to male pheromones and key volatile compounds and the crucial binding sites PHE35, MET7, VAL10, PHE38, ILE52, and PHE118 can act as targets in the recognition of E. signifier pheromones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems)
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Review

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20 pages, 1712 KiB  
Review
Mechanisms and Functions of Sweet Reception in Oral and Extraoral Organs
by Ryusuke Yoshida and Yuzo Ninomiya
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(13), 7398; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137398 - 5 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1775
Abstract
The oral detection of sugars relies on two types of receptor systems. The first is the G-protein-coupled receptor TAS1R2/TAS1R3. When activated, this receptor triggers a downstream signaling cascade involving gustducin, phospholipase Cβ2 (PLCβ2), and transient receptor potential channel M5 (TRPM5). The second type [...] Read more.
The oral detection of sugars relies on two types of receptor systems. The first is the G-protein-coupled receptor TAS1R2/TAS1R3. When activated, this receptor triggers a downstream signaling cascade involving gustducin, phospholipase Cβ2 (PLCβ2), and transient receptor potential channel M5 (TRPM5). The second type of receptor is the glucose transporter. When glucose enters the cell via this transporter, it is metabolized to produce ATP. This ATP inhibits the opening of KATP channels, leading to cell depolarization. Beside these receptor systems, sweet-sensitive taste cells have mechanisms to regulate their sensitivity to sweet substances based on internal and external states of the body. Sweet taste receptors are not limited to the oral cavity; they are also present in extraoral organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and brain. These extraoral sweet receptors are involved in various functions, including glucose absorption, insulin release, sugar preference, and food intake, contributing to the maintenance of energy homeostasis. Additionally, sweet receptors may have unique roles in certain organs like the trachea and bone. This review summarizes past and recent studies on sweet receptor systems, exploring the molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of sweet (sugar) detection in both oral and extraoral organs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms Subserving Taste and Olfaction Systems)
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