0000000000606982
AUTHOR
Andrew J. Taylor
Rapid odorant release in mammalian odour binding proteins facilitates their temporal coupling to odorant signals.
; We have measured the effect of rat odorant-binding protein 1 on the rates of ligand uptake and liquid-to-air transfer rates with a set of defined odorous compounds. Comparison of observed rate constants (k(obs)) with data simulated over a wide range of different kinetic and thermodynamic regimes shows that the data do not agree with the previously held view of a slow off-rate regime (k(off) <0.0004 s(-1)). We propose that a rapid koff would be a necessary requirement for such a system, since slow odorant-release rates would result in significant decorrelation between the olfactory world and odour perception. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Functional characterization of the ligand binding domain of the cat T1R1 taste receptor
The umami taste receptor is a heterodimeric G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), composed of two subunits called T1R1 and T1R3. Both subunits are class C GPCRs whose members share a common architecture composed of a large N-terminal domain (NTD) connected to a heptahelical transmembrane domain by a short cysteine-rich domain. Cellular assays combined with molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis studies have revealed that the NTD of the T1R1 subunit contains the primary binding site for umami stimuli, such as L-glutamate (L-Glu) for humans. Inosine-5’-monophosphate (IMP) binds close to the opening of the NTD, responsible for the characteristic umami synergy between L-Glu and IMP. Funct…
Factors affecting flavor perception in space: Does the spacecraft environment influence food intake by astronauts?
International audience; The intention to send a crewed mission to Mars involves a huge amount of planning to ensure a safe and successful mission. Providing adequate amounts of food for the crew is a major task, but 20 years of feeding astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have resulted in a good knowledge base. A crucial observation from the ISS is that astronauts typically consume only 80% of their daily calorie requirements when in space. This is despite daily exercise regimes that keep energy usage at very similar levels to those found on Earth. This calorie deficit seems to have little effect on astronauts who spend up to 12 months on the ISS, but given that a mission to …