Functional Properties of Insect Olfactory Receptors: Ionotropic Receptors and Odorant Receptors

Overview

Journal Cell Tissue Res

Specialties Anatomy & Histology
Cell Biology

Date 2021 Jan 27

PMID 33502604

Citations 49

Authors

Dieter Wicher

Fabio Miazzi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The majority of insect olfactory receptors belong to two distinct protein families, the ionotropic receptors (IRs), which are related to the ionotropic glutamate receptor family, and the odorant receptors (ORs), which evolved from the gustatory receptor family. Both receptor types assemble to heteromeric ligand-gated cation channels composed of odor-specific receptor proteins and co-receptor proteins. We here present in short the current view on evolution, function, and regulation of IRs and ORs. Special attention is given on how their functional properties can meet the environmental and ecological challenges an insect has to face.

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