Studies on structure and function of odorant and pheromone receptors sensing various external signals

2008 Fiscal Year Self-evaluation Report

• Project Area: Molecular interaction and modal shift of cellular sensors
• Project/Area Number: 18077001
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: TOUHARA Kazushige The University of Tokyo, 大学院・新領域創成科学研究科, 准教授 (00280925)
• Project Period (FY): 2006 – 2010
• Keywords: 匂い / フェロモン / 嗅覚受容体 / センサー / チャネル / 誘引 / カイコ / マウス

Research Abstract

生物は、匂いやフェロモンなど外部環境からの情報分子を受容・伝達・情報統合して、生存のための個体応答として出力する高感度・高選択性の嗅覚センサーをもつ。センサー分子である嗅覚受容体とフェロモン受容体は、昆虫から哺乳類まで多くの生物において多重遺伝子ファミリーを形成しており、進化の過程で、情報分子の性質の変化とともに、その構造・発現空間・機能を適応させてきた。本研究では、独自の嗅覚システムを進化させた齧歯類と昆虫に着目して、匂いとフェロモンのセンサー機能、センサー間相互作用、センサーを介した情報伝達経路、センサー情報を統合する神経回路網、センサー刺激による行動・内分泌変化などの個体応答を解析して、細胞感覚モジュールとしての嗅覚センサーの分子動態の全貌を明らかにする。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Myr-Ric8A enhances Gaα15-mediated Ca2+ response of vertebrate olfactory receptors (2009)
  • Author(s): Yoshikawa, K., and Touhara, K.
  • Journal Title: Chem. Senses 34 Pages: 15-23
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Amino acids involved in conformational dynamics and G-protein coupling of an odorant receptor: targeting gain-of-function mutation (2008)
  • Author(s): Kato, A., Katada, S., and Touhara, K.
  • Journal Title: J. Neurochem. 107 Pages: 1261-1270
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Insect olfactory receptors are heteromeric ligand-gated channels (2008)
  • Author(s): Sato, K., Pellegrino, M., Nakagawa, T., Nakagawa, T., Vosshall, L.B., and Touhara, K.
  • Journal Title: Nature 452 Pages: 1002-1006
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The mouse ESP family: sex and strain differences, and implications in the vomeronasal sensory system (2007)
  • Author(s): Kimoto, H., Sato, K., Nodari, F., Haga, S., Holy, T., and Touhara, K.
  • Journal Title: Current Biology 17 Pages: 1879-1884
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Odorant receptor map in the mouse olfactory bulb: in vivo sensitivity and specificity of receptor-defined glomeruli (2006)
  • Author(s): Oka, Y., Katada, S., Omura, M., Suwa, M., Yoshihara, Y. and Touhara, K.
  • Journal Title: Neuron 52 Pages: 857-869
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Chemosensory receptor and behavior (2009)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K.
  • Organizer: Keystone Symposium on Chemical Senses
  • Place of Presentation: Tahoe City, CA, USA
  • Year and Date: 2009-03-17
• [Presentation] Emerging view of insect olfactory receptor signaling (2008)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K.
  • Organizer: International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste (ISOT)
  • Place of Presentation: SFO, CA, USA
  • Year and Date: 2008-07-25
• [Presentation] Molecular mchansims for odorant and pheromone reception (2007)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K.
  • Organizer: International symposium of National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing
  • Place of Presentation: Beijing, China
  • Year and Date: 2007-10-19
• [Presentation] Molecular mechanisms underlying sex pheromone reception (2007)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K.
  • Organizer: Keystone Symposium on Chemical Senses
  • Place of Presentation: Snowbard, Utah, USA
  • Year and Date: 2007-01-23
• [Presentation] Pharmacology of mouse olfactory receptors (2006)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K.
  • Organizer: 28th Annual meeting for Association for Chemoreception Society
  • Place of Presentation: Sarasota, Florida, USA
  • Year and Date: 2006-04-26
• [Book] Sensing odorants and pheromones with chemosensory receptors, Annu. Rev. Physiol. 71 (2009)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K. and Vosshall, L.B.
  • Total Pages: 307-332
• [Book] Structure, Expression, and Function of Olfactory receptors, In: The Senses: a comprehensive reference, Vol. 4, Olfaction & Taste 4 (2008)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K.
  • Total Pages: 527-544
• [Book] Molecular Biology of Peptide Pheromone Production and Reception in Mice, Advances in Genetics 59 (2007)
  • Author(s): Touhara, K.
  • Total Pages: 147-171
• [Book] 香りを感知する嗅覚のメカニズム (2007)
  • Author(s): 東原和成
  • Publisher: 八十一出版
• [Remarks] 研究グループホームページアドレス
  • URL: http://park.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/molecular-recognition/touhara/kyukaku.html