G protein-coupled odorant receptors underlie mechanosensitivity in mammalian olfactory sensory neurons

Affiliation auteurs!!!! Error affiliation !!!!
TitreG protein-coupled odorant receptors underlie mechanosensitivity in mammalian olfactory sensory neurons
Type de publicationJournal Article
Year of Publication2015
AuteursConnelly T, Yu Y, Grosmaitre X, Wang J, Santarelli LC, Savigner A, Qiao X, Wang Z, Storm DR, Ma M
JournalPROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume112
Pagination590-595
Date PublishedJAN 13
Type of ArticleArticle
ISSN0027-8424
Mots-clésG protein-coupled receptors, heterologous expression, mechanical sensors, mechanotransduction, odorant receptors
Résumé

Mechanosensitive cells are essential for organisms to sense the external and internal environments, and a variety of molecules have been implicated as mechanical sensors. Here we report that odorant receptors (ORs), a large family of G protein-coupled receptors, underlie the responses to both chemical and mechanical stimuli in mouse olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Genetic ablation of key signaling proteins in odor transduction or disruption of OR-G protein coupling eliminates mechanical responses. Curiously, OSNs expressing different OR types display significantly different responses to mechanical stimuli. Genetic swap of putatively mechanosensitive ORs abolishes or reduces mechanical responses of OSNs. Furthermore, ectopic expression of an OR restores mechanosensitivity in loss-of-function OSNs. Lastly, heterologous expression of an OR confers mechanosensitivity to its host cells. These results indicate that certain ORs are both necessary and sufficient to cause mechanical responses, revealing a previously unidentified mechanism for mechanotransduction.

DOI10.1073/pnas.1418515112