Skip to main content
Log in

Receptor heterogeneity and its effect on sensitivity and coding range in olfactory sensory neurons

Bulletin of Mathematical Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Signal processing in the olfactory system is initiated by binding of odorant molecules to receptor molecules embedded in the membranes of sensory neurons. Most analyses of odorant—receptor interaction focus on one or more types of odorants binding with one type of receptors. Here, two basic models of this first step are investigated under the assumption that the population of receptors is not homogenous and is characterized by different activation/deactivation rates. Both, discrete and continuous variation of the rates are considered. The steady-state characteristics of the models are derived. In addition, time to crossing a threshold, defined as a response time, is also investigated. The achieved results are compared with those valid for models with the homogenous population of receptors and interpreted in terms of information coding. The obvious implications of the modeling study—that the heterogeneity of receptors enlarges the coding range and increases the sensitivity of the system—are quantified.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beidler, B. W. (1962). Taste receptor stimulation. Prog. Biophys. Chem. 12, 107–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buck, L. B. (1996). Information coding in the vertebrate olfactory system. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 19, 517–544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buck, L. B. and R. Axel (1991). A novel multigene family may encode odorant receptors—a molecular basis for odor recognition. Cell 65, 175–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duchamp-Viret, P., M. A. Chaput and A. Duchamp (1999). Odor response properties of rat olfactory receptor neurons. Science 284, 2171–2174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ennis, D. M. (1991). Molecular mixture models based on competitive and noncompetitive agonism. Chem. Senses 16, 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujimura, K., F. Yokohari and H. Tateda (1991). Classification of antenal olfactory receptors of the cockroach. Periplaneta americana. Zoological Sci. 8, 243–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Getz, W. M. (1999). A kinetic model of the transient phase in the response of the olfactory receptor neuron. Chem. Senses 24, 497–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Getz, W. M. and R. P. Akers (1995). Partitioning non-linearities in the response of olfactory neurons to binary odors. BioSystems 34, 27–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Getz, W. M. and R. P. Akers (1997). Coding properties of peak and average response rates in American cockroach olfactory cells. BioSystems 40, 55–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Getz, W. M. and P. Lánský (2001). Ligand concentration coding and optimal Michaelis-Menten parameters in multivalent and heterogenous receptor membrane. Chem. Senses 26, 95–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaissling, K.-E. (1986). Chemo-electrical transduction in insect olfactory receptors. Ann. Rev. Neurosci. 9, 121–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaissling, K.-E. (1987). R.H. Wright Lectures on Insect Olfaction, Burnaby: Simon Fraser University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaissling, K.-E. (1998). Flux detectors vs. concentration detectors: two types of chemoreceptors. Chem. Senses 23, 99–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lancet, D., R. Gross-Isseroff, T. Margalit, E. Seidemann and N. Ben-Arie (1993a). Olfaction: From signal transduction and termination to human genome mapping. Chem. Senses 18, 217–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancet, D., E. Sadovsky and E. Seidemann (1993b). Probability model for molecular recognition in biological receptor repertoires—significance to the olfactory system. PNAS 90, 3715–3719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lánský, P., V. Krivan and J.-P. Rospars (2001). Ligand interaction with receptors under periodic stimulation: A modeling study with application to concentration chemoreceptors. Eur. Biophys. J. (in press).

  • Lánský, P. and J.-P. Rospars (1993). Coding of odor intensity. BioSystems 31, 15–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lánský, P. and J.-P. Rospars (1995). Mathematical approach to transduction processes in olfactory receptor neurons. J. Jap. Soc. Instrument Control Engn. 34, 800–804.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lánský, P. and J.-P. Rospars (1998). Odorant concentration and receptor potential in olfactory sensory neurons. BioSystems 48, 131–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, W. C. and W. M. Getz (1997). Temporal resolution of general odor pulses by olfactory sensory neurons in American cockroaches. J. Exp. Biol. 200, 1809–1819.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, W. C. and W. M. Getz (1999). Olfactory coding in insects. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 92, 861–872.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, W. C. and W. M. Getz (2000). Rate code input produces temporal code output from cockroach antennal lobes. BioSystems 58, 151–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malaka, R., T. Ragg and M. Hammer (1995). Kinetic models of odor transduction implemented as artificial neural networks. Biol. Cybern. 73, 195–207.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Malnic, B., J. Hirono, T. Sato and L. B. Buck (1999). Combinatorial receptor codes for odores. Cell 96, 713–723.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masson, C. and H. Mustaparta (1990). Chemical information processing in olfactory system of insects. Physiol. Rev. 70, 199–245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mombaerts, P. (1999). Seven-transmembrane proteins as odorant and chemosensory receptors. Science 286, 707–711.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rospars, J.-P., V. Krivan and P. Lánský (2000). Perireceptor and receptor events in olfaction. Comparison of concentration and flux detectors: A modeling study. Chem. Senses 25, 293–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rospars, J.-P., P. Lánský, H. C. Tuckwell and A. Vermeulen (1996). Coding of odor intensity in a steady-state deterministic model of an olfactory receptor neuron. J. Comput. Neurosci. 3, 51–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. H. and W. M. Getz (1994). Nonpheromonal olfactory processing in insects. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 39, 351–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petr Lánský.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lánský, P., Getz, W.M. Receptor heterogeneity and its effect on sensitivity and coding range in olfactory sensory neurons. Bull. Math. Biol. 63, 885–908 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1006/bulm.2001.0249

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/bulm.2001.0249

Keywords

Navigation