A second class of chemosensory receptors in the olfactory epithelium

The mammalian olfactory system detects chemicals sensed as odours as well as social cues that stimulate innate responses. Odorants are detected in the nasal olfactory epithelium by the odorant receptor family, whose approximately 1,000 members allow the discrimination of a myriad of odorants. Here we report the discovery of a second family of receptors in the mouse olfactory epithelium. Genes encoding these receptors, called 'trace amine-associated receptors' (TAARs), are present in human, mouse and fish. Like odorant receptors, individual mouse TAARs are expressed in unique subsets of neurons dispersed in the epithelium. Notably, at least three mouse TAARs recognize volatile amines found in urine: one detects a compound linked to stress, whereas the other two detect compounds enriched in male versus female urine-one of which is reportedly a pheromone. The evolutionary conservation of the TAAR family suggests a chemosensory function distinct from odorant receptors. Ligands identified for TAARs thus far suggest a function associated with the detection of social cues.     

Neuronal filtering of multiplexed odour representations

Neuronal activity patterns contain information in their temporal structure, indicating that information transfer between neurons may be optimized by temporal filtering. In the zebrafish olfactory bulb, subsets of output neurons (mitral cells) engage in synchronized oscillations during odour responses, but information about odour identity is contained mostly in non-oscillatory firing rate patterns. Using optogenetic manipulations and odour stimulation, we found that firing rate responses of neurons in the posterior zone of the dorsal telencephalon (Dp), a target area homologous to olfactory cortex, were largely insensitive to oscillatory synchrony of mitral cells because passive membrane properties and synaptic currents act as low-pass filters. Nevertheless, synchrony influenced spike timing. Moreover, Dp neurons responded primarily during the decorrelated steady state of mitral cell activity patterns. Temporal filtering therefore tunes Dp neurons to components of mitral cell activity patterns that are particularly informative about precise odour identity. These results demonstrate how temporal filtering can extract specific information from multiplexed neuronal codes.     

啮齿动物性识别外激素的研究概况及方法

啮齿动物普遍利用外激素进行性识别。具有性识别功能的外激素可能由身体各个发出气味的部位产生,例如,尿液、粪便、唾液、精液、胚胎液、阴道分泌物、特化皮肤腺分泌物等。外激素的产生器官,尤其特化皮肤腺的形态、组织结构、所产生的化学成分和性识别功能有季节和性别的差异,并且受到脑垂体、内分泌腺和性腺分泌激素的调节。确定气味的识别功能和产生源,常利用被试鼠对雌雄气味的行为反应差异;生理调节作用的研究常采用切除有关的激素分泌腺和植入外源的激素后,气味产生器官的形态、组织结构和分泌物化学成分,以及对气味的嗅觉反应的变化的方法;化学研究涉及到气味分析样品的制备和对样品进行化学分析,进一步的活性成分的鉴定还要和生物测定相结合。     

Innate versus learned odour processing in the mouse olfactory bulb

The mammalian olfactory system mediates various responses, including aversive behaviours to spoiled foods and fear responses to predator odours. In the olfactory bulb, each glomerulus represents a single species of odorant receptor. Because a single odorant can interact with several different receptor species, the odour information received in the olfactory epithelium is converted to a topographical map of multiple glomeruli activated in distinct areas in the olfactory bulb. To study how the odour map is interpreted in the brain, we generated mutant mice in which olfactory sensory neurons in a specific area of the olfactory epithelium are ablated by targeted expression of the diphtheria toxin gene. Here we show that, in dorsal-zone-depleted mice, the dorsal domain of the olfactory bulb was devoid of glomerular structures, although second-order neurons were present in the vacant areas. The mutant mice lacked innate responses to aversive odorants, even though they were capable of detecting them and could be conditioned for aversion with the remaining glomeruli. These results indicate that, in mice, aversive information is received in the olfactory bulb by separate sets of glomeruli, those dedicated for innate and those for learned responses.     

光肩星天牛对糖槭挥发物的EAG及嗅觉行为反应

[目的]分析影响光肩星天牛定位寄主的糖槭挥发物成分,解析挥发物在光肩星天牛搜寻和定位寄主过程中的作用,为光肩星天牛的综合防控提供依据.[方法]利用热脱附气质联用法(thermal desorption gas chromatog-raphy-mass spectrometry,TCT-GC-MS)分析鉴定糖槭挥发物组分...     

An essential role for a CD36-related receptor in pheromone detection in Drosophila

The CD36 family of transmembrane receptors is present across metazoans and has been implicated biochemically in lipid binding and transport. Several CD36 proteins function in the immune system as scavenger receptors for bacterial pathogens and seem to act as cofactors for Toll-like receptors by facilitating recognition of bacterially derived lipids. Here we show that a Drosophila melanogaster CD36 homologue, Sensory neuron membrane protein (SNMP), is expressed in a population of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) implicated in pheromone detection. SNMP is essential for the electrophysiological responses of OSNs expressing the receptor OR67d to (Z)-11-octadecenyl acetate (cis-vaccenyl acetate, cVA), a volatile male-specific fatty-acid-derived pheromone that regulates sexual and social aggregation behaviours. SNMP is also required for the activation of the moth pheromone receptor HR13 by its lipid-derived pheromone ligand (Z)-11-hexadecenal, but is dispensable for the responses of the conventional odorant receptor OR22a to its short hydrocarbon fruit ester ligands. Finally, we show that SNMP is required for responses of OR67d to cVA when ectopically expressed in OSNs not normally activated by pheromones. Because mammalian CD36 binds fatty acids, we suggest that SNMP acts in concert with odorant receptors to capture pheromone molecules on the surface of olfactory dendrites. Our work identifies an unanticipated cofactor for odorant receptors that is likely to have a widespread role in insect pheromone detection. Moreover, these results define a unifying model for CD36 function, coupling recognition of lipid-based extracellular ligands to signalling receptors in both pheromonal communication and pathogen recognition through the innate immune system.     

Odorant receptors instruct functional circuitry in the mouse olfactory bulb

The mammalian olfactory system detects and discriminates thousands of odorants using many different receptors expressed by sensory neurons in the nasal epithelium. Axonal projections from these neurons to the main olfactory bulbs form reproducible patterns of glomeruli in two widely separated regions of each bulb, creating two mirror-symmetric maps of odorant receptor projections. To investigate whether odorant receptors organize neural circuitry in the olfactory bulb, we have examined a genetically modified mouse line, rI7 --> M71, in which a functionally characterized receptor, rI7, has been substituted into the M71 receptor locus. Here we show that despite their ectopic location the resulting glomeruli are responsive to known ligands of the rI7 receptor, attract postsynaptic innervation by mitral/tufted cell dendrites, and endow these cells with responses that are characteristic of the rI7 receptor. External tufted cells receiving input from rI7 --> M71 glomeruli form precise intrabulbar projections that link medial and lateral rI7 --> M71 glomeruli anatomically, thus providing a substrate for coordinating isofunctional glomeruli. We conclude that odorant receptor identity in epithelial neurons determines not only glomerular convergence and function, but also functional circuitry in the olfactory bulb.     

组合式生物反应器处理多组分恶臭气体性能研究

针对含多组分恶臭气体处理效率不高、稳定性不足等问题,开发出组合式生物反应器。研究了组合式生物反应器的运行效果、污染物去除特性和微生物特性。多组分恶臭气体的主要成分为硫化氢、氨以及由甲硫醇、乙硫醇、乙酸、丁酸、二甲胺等物质组成的挥发性有机化合物。组合式生物反应器能有效去除这些污染物质,但不同类型的污染物在组合式反应器的不同功能区中的去除效果不同。硫化氢、氨、甲硫醇、乙硫醇和二甲胺在酸性区中的去除率较高;而乙酸和丁酸在中性区中的去除率较高。     

大熊猫尿液中挥发性成分的初步分析

采用气相色谱法对4只大熊猫雄性体和2只雌体尿液中的挥发性成分进行了初步分析，并分别对2种性别之间、性活跃与不活跃雄体之间、繁殖期与非繁殖期之间进行了比较。结果发现，繁殖期雄体尿液中主要包含大约29种挥发性物质，性活跃雄性个体的尿液中保留时间短的成分较性不活跃的多，2只性活跃雄体与1只雌体尿液中挥发性成分除2种成分不同外，其余基本一致；非繁殖期保留时间短的成分较繁殖期明显减少。研究结果表明，雄性个体尿液中挥发性成分的多少可能与个体的性活跃能力有关，雄性个体可能通过尿液传递有关个体的性别、社会地位等信息。     

Centre-surround inhibition among olfactory bulb glomeruli

Centre-surround inhibition--the suppression of activity of neighbouring cells by a central group of neurons--is a fundamental mechanism that increases contrast in patterned sensory processing. The initial stage of neural processing in olfaction occurs in olfactory bulb glomeruli, but evidence for functional interactions between glomeruli is fragmentary. Here we show that the so-called 'short axon' cells, contrary to their name, send interglomerular axons over long distances to form excitatory synapses with inhibitory periglomerular neurons up to 20-30 glomeruli away. Interglomerular excitation of these periglomerular cells potently inhibits mitral cells and forms an on-centre, off-surround circuit. This interglomerular centre-surround inhibitory network, along with the well-established mitral-granule-mitral inhibitory circuit, forms a serial, two-stage inhibitory circuit that could enhance spatiotemporal responses to odours.     

Drosophila odorant receptors are both ligand-gated and cyclic-nucleotide-activated cation channels

From worm to man, many odorant signals are perceived by the binding of volatile ligands to odorant receptors that belong to the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. They couple to heterotrimeric G-proteins, most of which induce cAMP production. This second messenger then activates cyclic-nucleotide-gated ion channels to depolarize the olfactory receptor neuron, thus providing a signal for further neuronal processing. Recent findings, however, have challenged this concept of odorant signal transduction in insects, because their odorant receptors, which lack any sequence similarity to other GPCRs, are composed of conventional odorant receptors (for example, Or22a), dimerized with a ubiquitously expressed chaperone protein, such as Or83b in Drosophila. Or83b has a structure akin to GPCRs, but has an inverted orientation in the plasma membrane. However, G proteins are expressed in insect olfactory receptor neurons, and olfactory perception is modified by mutations affecting the cAMP transduction pathway. Here we show that application of odorants to mammalian cells co-expressing Or22a and Or83b results in non-selective cation currents activated by means of an ionotropic and a metabotropic pathway, and a subsequent increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. Expression of Or83b alone leads to functional ion channels not directly responding to odorants, but being directly activated by intracellular cAMP or cGMP. Insect odorant receptors thus form ligand-gated channels as well as complexes of odorant-sensing units and cyclic-nucleotide-activated non-selective cation channels. Thereby, they provide rapid and transient as well as sensitive and prolonged odorant signalling.     

GC-MS结合嗅辨仪鉴定不同酒龄黄酒中的关键挥发性风味物质

为了研究金色年华——一种有名的黄酒中的挥发性风味物质,选取3种不同酒龄的金色年华为样品,采用固相微萃取(SPME)结合气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)对其挥发性风味物质进行定性和定量分析.同时利用AC'Scent嗅辨仪测定其中挥发性风味物质的嗅觉阈值,结合它们的含量计算出风味物质的香气活力值(OAV).SPME-GC-MS结果显示黄酒中挥发性风味物质有酯类(17种)、醇类(10种)、酸类(6种)、醛类(4种)、酮类(1种)、酚类(1种)和内酯类(2种).根据OAV值判断出不同酒龄金色年华中的主要挥发性物质.大部分GCMS检测出物质的OAV值大于1,表明它们对黄酒的气味可以产生影响.在3种酒龄黄酒中异丁醇具有最高的OAV值,其他主要的挥发性物质有异丁酸、乙酸乙酯和苯乙醇.     

A larger pool of ozone-forming carbon compounds in urban atmospheres

Volatile organic compounds play a central role in the processes that generate both urban photochemical smog and tropospheric ozone. For successful and accurate prediction of these pollution episodes, identification of the dominant reactive species within the volatile organic carbon pool is needed. At present, lack of resolution inherent in single-column chromatographic analysis limits such a detailed chemical characterization of the complex urban atmosphere. Here we present an improved method of peak deconvolution from double-column (orthogonal) gas chromatography. This has enabled us to isolate and classify more than 500 chemical species of volatile organic compounds in urban air, including over 100 multi-substituted monoaromatic and volatile oxygenated hydrocarbons. We suggest that previous assessments of reactive carbon species may therefore have underestimated the contribution made by volatile organic compounds to urban pollution, particularly for compounds with more than six carbon atoms. Incorporating these species in predictive models should greatly improve our understanding of photochemical ozone yields and the formation of harmful secondary organic aerosols.     

Caterpillar-induced nocturnal plant volatiles repel conspecific females

Plants respond to insect herbivory by synthesizing and releasing complex blends of volatile compounds, which provide important host-location cues for insects that are natural enemies of herbivores. The effects of these volatile blends on herbivore behaviour have been investigated to only a limited extent, in part because of the assumption that herbivore-induced volatile emissions occur mainly during the light phase of the photoperiod. Because many moths-whose larvae are some of the most important insect herbivores-are nocturnal, herbivore-induced plant volatiles have not hitherto been considered to be temporally available as host-location cues for ovipositing females. Here we present chemical and behavioural assays showing that tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum) release herbivore-induced volatiles during both night and day. Moreover, several volatile compounds are released exclusively at night and are highly repellent to female moths (Heliothis virescens). The demonstration that tobacco plants release temporally different volatile blends and that lepidopteran herbivores use induced plant signals released during the dark phase to choose sites for oviposition adds a new dimension to our understanding of the role of chemical cues in mediating tritrophic interactions.     

Acid sensing by the Drosophila olfactory system

The odour of acids has a distinct quality that is perceived as sharp, pungent and often irritating. How acidity is sensed and translated into an appropriate behavioural response is poorly understood. Here we describe a functionally segregated population of olfactory sensory neurons in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, that are highly selective for acidity. These olfactory sensory neurons express IR64a, a member of the recently identified ionotropic receptor (IR) family of putative olfactory receptors. In vivo calcium imaging showed that IR64a+ neurons projecting to the DC4 glomerulus in the antennal lobe are specifically activated by acids. Flies in which the function of IR64a+ neurons or the IR64a gene is disrupted had defects in acid-evoked physiological and behavioural responses, but their responses to non-acidic odorants remained unaffected. Furthermore, artificial stimulation of IR64a+ neurons elicited avoidance responses. Taken together, these results identify cellular and molecular substrates for acid detection in the Drosophila olfactory system and support a labelled-line mode of acidity coding at the periphery.     

嗅觉神经系统的电位发放

利用描述抑制结构的WLC模型,数值分析嗅觉神经系统各个神经元的电位发放,得到嗅觉神经系统中球周细胞层、嗅球、僧帽细胞层、颗粒细胞层、前嗅核和前梨状皮层内各个神经元的电位发放,模拟了Freeman嗅觉系统各K系列模型的电位发放模式,数值说明僧帽细胞具有丰富的发放形式,神经元之间的具有两种信号传递模式,数值结果和嗅觉实验现象相吻合.     

Behavioral and olfactory responses of grasshopper hatchlings,<Emphasis Type="Italic">Melanoplus sanguinipes</Emphasis>, to plant odours and volatile compounds

Behavior and olfactory responses of grasshopper hatchlings, Melanoplus sanguinipes (F.), to odours from plant foliage and volatile compounds were tested using a glass Y-tube olfactometer and electroantennogram (EAG)techniques respectively. In single choice trials, newly hatched hoppers were much more sensitive to the odour from intact leaves and chopped foliage of ryegrass and wheat than other plants. Chopped sorghum leaves, but not stem-cut sorghum,were also significantly attractive. The orientation responses of grasshopper hatchlings to these plants were highly consistent with those of last instar hoppers and adults. When ryegrass was employed as the control, the odour from stem-cut alfalfa was more attractive. There was no significant difference in hopper orientation responses to the odours from chopped seedlings of sorghum, alfalfa, wheat or ryegrass.However, significantly more hoppers preferred the chopped ryegrass control to chopped Louisanna sage. Measurement of the EAG response of first instar hoppers to these plant odours showed that the odour of Louisanna sage elicited the greatest response amplitudes. In olfactory tests using different volatile components, Z-3-hexenol, E-3-hexenol,Z-hex-3-enyl acetate, E-2-hexenal and hexenal gave greater EAG responses than geraniol and 1-octen-3-ol. These results are also consistent with comparable data from adults. Newly hatched grasshoppers had similar EAG response profiles to plant materials and chemicals to those of adults, although the absolute EAG values of young hoppers were much lower than those of adults. Therefore, newly hatched hoppers were able to distinguish plants from an air control, and even host plants from non-host plants, and the feeding experience of hoppers probably has little influence on their subsequent ability as adults to identify and locate food plants.     

Abolition of specific immune response defect by immunization with dendritic cells

Murine cytotoxic T (Tc)-cell responses to various antigens are controlled by immune response (Ir) genes mapping in the major histocompatibility complex (H-2). The genes responsible are those encoding the class I and class II H-2 antigens. The H-2 I-Ab mutant mouse strain bm12 differs from its strain of origin, C57BL/6 (H-2b), only in three amino acids in the I-A beta bm12 class II H-2 molecule. As a consequence, female bm12 mice are Tc-cell nonresponders to the male antigen H-Y and do not reject H-Y disparate skin grafts. We now report that bm12 mice generate strong H-Y-specific Tc cells following priming in vivo and restimulation in vitro with male bm12 dendritic cells (DC). Female bm12 mice primed with male DC also reject male skin grafts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that only responder cell populations containing a mixture of L3T4+ (T-helper (Th) phenotype) and Lyt 2+ (Tc phenotype) T lymphocytes generate H-Y-specific Tc cells. These data imply an essential role for Th cells, activated by DC as antigen-presenting cells (APC), in changing H-Y-nonresponder bm12 mice into H-Y responders. Priming and restimulation with DC allows the triggering of a T-cell repertoire not demonstrable by the usual modes of immunization. This principle might be used to overcome other specific immune response defects.     

氧化处理ACF对VOC的吸附及其等温线的拟合

空气中挥发性有机化合物 (VOC)严重危害人体的身体健康 ,因而研究 VOC的去除具有重要意义。用重量法研究了不同比表面积的活性炭纤维 (ACF)氧化处理后对低体积分数 VOC(非极性苯和极性丁酮 )的吸附 ,并用 Fre-undlich方程和 Dubinin-Radushkevich(DR)方程对吸附等温线进行了拟合。结果表明 :氧化处理能提高活性炭纤维的表面含氧量并能改变其孔结构 ,进而影响对 VOC的吸附 ;Freundlich方程和 DR方程能很好地拟合吸附等温线