Chinese researchers decipher the code for insect olfactory sense
2024-06-17
The international academic journal Science recently published the latest research findings of Chinese researchers online. This study revealed the fine structure of insect odor receptor OR-Orco complex, analyzed the interaction mechanism between odor receptor and ligand, deciphered the olfactory "code" of insects, and provided a new path for green pest control. This achievement was completed in collaboration with Wang Guirong's team from the Shenzhen Agricultural Genome Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Shenzhen Branch of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Guangdong Provincial Laboratory), Professor Yin Ping's team from Huazhong Agricultural University, and the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. According to Wang Guirong, insects rely on their sensitive sense of smell to perceive chemical signals in the environment. In the process of olfactory recognition, the odor receptors expressed on the dendritic membrane of olfactory receptor neurons play a crucial role in converting external chemical signals into bioelectrical signals, guiding insects to respond to feeding, mating, and other related behaviors. The latest published achievement, utilizing cutting-edge cryoelectron microscopy technology, delves into the structural characteristics of the ApOR5-Orco complex, a warning pheromone receptor for pea aphids, and analyzes its high-resolution cryoelectron microscopy structure in ligand bound and unbound states. Meanwhile, the molecular mechanism of insect odor recognition channel gating was revealed. (Lai Xin She)
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