Odor coding in the mammalian olfactory epithelium

Abstract Noses are extremely sophisticated chemical detectors allowing animals to use scents interpret and navigate their environments. Odor detection starts with the activation of odorant receptors (ORs), expressed in mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) populating mucosa. Different odorants, or different concentrations same odorant, activate unique ensembles ORs. This mechanism combinatorial receptor coding provided a possible explanation as why odorants perceived having distinct odors. Aided by new technologies, several recent studies have found that antagonist interactions also play an important role formation code. These findings mark start era study odorant-receptor add level complexity odor mammals.