Study of principal elemental odors and cell sensors functionally expressing olfactory receptors

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H02730
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Perceptual information processing
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Takaaki Sato 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 上級主任研究員 (20344187)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 川崎 隆史 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, バイオメディカル研究部門, 主任研究員 (60356839)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 情報センシング / 匂い / 生体機能利用 / 分子認識 / 感覚センサシステム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Y-maze behavioral assays, by genetic ablation of all dorsal olfactory receptors, we found an enantiomer odor discrimination paradox, where mice can detect one or both of enantiomers over a wide concentration range, but are unable to discriminate them. This fact indicates that a subset of activated receptors only enable mice to discriminate the similar odors, as evidence for hierachical elemental odor coding via feedforward inhibition. Moreover, by using urine mixture samples, we evaluated relative intensities of urinary elemental odors, resulting in individual-dependent and diet-related odors < bladder cancer < occult blood < antibiotic metabolites. In the condition of 10^-6-fold, equal occult blood-diluted urine samples, sniffer mice discriminated 11/11 patients with bladder cancer. This is a proof-of-principle study for non-invasive diagnosis of cancer-induced odors. Patent of method for odor evaluation was filed.

Free Research Field

感覚生理学