Olfaction Flashcards
What type of receptors control olfaction?
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR)
What does the G protein activate?
cAMP
What technique do you use to isolate odorant receptors?
degenerate RT-PCR
What is an amplicon?
A PCR product between 460-1300 bp for odorant receptor gene (between the two conserved domains)
What do you need to start reverse transcription
universal primers
What is cDNA?
Complementary version of your RNA in DNA
Where is the olfactory system of Drosophila found?
Antenna
How do you make primers to select for odorant gene
You make primers for two conserved domains of GPCR which digested should show 10 types of GPCRs
What are pseudogenes and how many of them are represented in olfactory receptors?
Half of the OR genes are pseudogenes that don’t encode for any protein.
How many OR genes does one neuron express?
Only one
In how many neurons is one OR gene expressed?
about 1000 neurons
What technique is used to see where the olfactory receptors are expressed?
In situ hybridization
What is androstenone?
steroid derived from testosterone exressed in pig saliva for stance.
If the genotype for androsterone perception is RT/RT what do individuals perceive?
Less intense
What type of olfactory receptor does Drosophila have?
Ionotropic receptor
