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<h2>Olfactory receptors</h2>             
<h2>Olfactory receptors</h2>             
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Animals sense their chemical environment through olfactory receptors (ORs). The olfactory receptors are a large group of proteins belonging to subfamily I of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind odorant ligands. If the receptor is activated by a ligand, the confirmation of the receptor is changed and there is an interaction with the α-subunit of the G-protein, Golf.. This causes dissociation of the α-subunit from the Gβγ dimer, which causes signal propagation.  Each OR recognizes multiple odorants and most odorants are recognized by several ORs [1]. Because of the sensitivity and selectivity of the of the olfactory system it can be for example of value in detection of environmental toxins [2], pharmaceutical screening  and for diagnostics.
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Animals sense their chemical environment through olfactory receptors (ORs). The olfactory receptors are a large group of proteins belonging to a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind odorant ligands. If the receptor is activated by a ligand, the confirmation of the receptor is changed and there is an interaction with the α-subunit of the G-protein, Golf.. This causes dissociation of the α-subunit from the Gβγ dimer, which causes signal propagation.  Each OR recognizes multiple odorants and most odorants are recognized by several ORs [1]. Because of the sensitivity and selectivity of the of the olfactory system it can be for example of value in detection of environmental toxins [2], pharmaceutical screening  and for diagnostics.
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<h2>Yeast G protein-coupled receptors</h2>   
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In this project we choose to work with the budding  yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae  as a host  organism because it utilizes already a GPCR pathway.  Furthermore S. cerevisiae has been successfully used for functional expression of GPCR’s [3,4], a lot of genomic tools are available, and it has a fully characterized genome.
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In S. cerevisiae two GPCR cascades have been identified: a glucose sensing pathway and a mating pathway [5]. There are two sexes of yeast cells, MATa and MATα. Whenever pheromones (small peptides) of the opposite sex are bound to the specific G-protein coupled receptors (Ste2 p or Ste3p), the MAP kinase cascade is turned on,  leading to induction of mating genes such as Fus1 and growth arrest  mediated by the Far1 promoter. This mating response can be seen in the form of a morphological change, called shmoo formation.  In figure an overview of the pheromone and glucose signaling pathways in S. cerevisiae is shown.  
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Revision as of 10:27, 25 September 2012

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Introduction

Olfactory receptors

Animals sense their chemical environment through olfactory receptors (ORs). The olfactory receptors are a large group of proteins belonging to a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind odorant ligands. If the receptor is activated by a ligand, the confirmation of the receptor is changed and there is an interaction with the α-subunit of the G-protein, Golf.. This causes dissociation of the α-subunit from the Gβγ dimer, which causes signal propagation. Each OR recognizes multiple odorants and most odorants are recognized by several ORs [1]. Because of the sensitivity and selectivity of the of the olfactory system it can be for example of value in detection of environmental toxins [2], pharmaceutical screening and for diagnostics.

Yeast G protein-coupled receptors

In this project we choose to work with the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a host organism because it utilizes already a GPCR pathway. Furthermore S. cerevisiae has been successfully used for functional expression of GPCR’s [3,4], a lot of genomic tools are available, and it has a fully characterized genome. In S. cerevisiae two GPCR cascades have been identified: a glucose sensing pathway and a mating pathway [5]. There are two sexes of yeast cells, MATa and MATα. Whenever pheromones (small peptides) of the opposite sex are bound to the specific G-protein coupled receptors (Ste2 p or Ste3p), the MAP kinase cascade is turned on, leading to induction of mating genes such as Fus1 and growth arrest mediated by the Far1 promoter. This mating response can be seen in the form of a morphological change, called shmoo formation. In figure an overview of the pheromone and glucose signaling pathways in S. cerevisiae is shown.