Journal article

Publication year: 2013

Pages: 293-304

Journal: Chemical Senses

Volume number: 38

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0379-864X

eISSN: 1464-3553

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjs138

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract: 
Most odors in natural environments are mixtures of several compounds. Perceptually, these can blend into a new perfume, or some components may dominate as elements of the mixture. In order to understand such mixture interactions, it is necessary to study the events at the olfactory periphery, down to the level of single-odorant receptor cells. Does a strong ligand present at a low concentration outweigh the effect of weak ligands present at high concentrations? We used the fruit fly receptor dOr22a and a banana-like odor mixture as a model system. We show that an intermediate ligand at an intermediate concentration alone elicits the neurons blend response, despite the presence of both weaker ligands at higher concentration, and of better ligands at lower concentration in the mixture. Because all of these components, when given alone, elicited significant responses, this reveals specific mixture processing already at the periphery. By measuring complete doseresponse curves we show that these mixture effects can be fully explained by a model of syntopic interaction at a single-receptor binding site. Our data have important implications for how odor mixtures are processed in general, and what preprocessing occurs before the information reaches the brain.

Harvard Citation style: Münch, D., Schmeichel, B., Silbering, A. and Galizia, C. (2013) Weaker Ligands Can Dominate an Odor Blend due to Syntopic Interactions, Chemical Senses, 38(4), pp. 293-304. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjs138

APA Citation style: Münch, D., Schmeichel, B., Silbering, A., & Galizia, C. (2013). Weaker Ligands Can Dominate an Odor Blend due to Syntopic Interactions. Chemical Senses. 38(4), 293-304. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjs138