Sensory Transduction

The goal of making sense of the sense of smell has come a step closer. Work on fruitflies reveals that odorant receptors act as bidirectional chemical detectors and determine the function of sensory neurons.

A component of the ‘tip link’ that conveys tension to mechanically sensitive ion channels in the inner ear has been identified. The finding raises new questions about elastic elements in our hearing apparatus.

Mechanically controlled ion channels — transduction channels — are a key feature of the cells that detect sound, touch and movement. In fruitfly ears, the channels belong to a very familiar group of proteins.

Researchers are getting warm in their search for the details of cold detection. The discovery of a cold-sensitive ion channel will help dissect how the nervous system encodes and decodes the temperature spectrum.

We can't make amino acids so they need to form part of our diet. Fortunately, mammals have evolved a taste for these essential protein components, and researchers are beginning to unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Award honours work in understanding olfaction.

Smell is arguably the most evocative and mysterious of our senses. But thanks to advances in our understanding of the cells that detect odour, its secrets should now start to be revealed. Carina Dennis sniffs around.