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Mahmoud MAA, Zhang Y. Enhancing Odor Analysis with Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry (GC-O): Recent Breakthroughs and Challenges. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:9523-9554. [PMID: 38640191 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c08129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) has made significant advancements in recent years, with breakthroughs in its applications and the identification of its limitations. This technology is widely used for analyzing complex odor patterns. The review begins by explaining the principles of GC-O, including sample preparation, separation methods, and olfactory evaluation techniques. It then explores the diverse range of applications where GC-O has found success, such as food and beverage industries, environmental monitoring, perfume and aroma development, and forensic analysis. One of the major breakthroughs in GC-O analysis is the improvement in separation power and resolution of odorants. Techniques like rapid GC, comprehensive two-dimensional GC, and multidimensional GC have enhanced the identification and quantification of odor-active chemicals. However, GC-O also has limitations. These include the challenges in detecting and quantifying trace odorants, dealing with matrix effects, and ensuring the repeatability and consistency of results across laboratories. The review examines these limitations closely and discusses potential solutions and future directions for improvement in GC-O analysis. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in GC-O, covering breakthroughs, applications, and limitations. It aims to promote the wider usage of GC-O analysis in odor analysis and related industries. Researchers, practitioners, and anyone interested in leveraging the capabilities of GC-O in analyzing complex odor patterns will find this review a valuable resource. The article highlights the potential of GC-O and encourages further research and development in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A A Mahmoud
- Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Hadayek Shobra, Cairo 11241, Egypt
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Flavor Chemistry, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstraße 12, Stuttgart 70599, Germany
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Klaey-Tassone M, Soussignan R, Durand K, Roy SL, Damon F, Villière A, Fillonneau C, Prost C, Patris B, Sagot P, Schaal B. Testing detectability, attractivity, hedonic specificity, extractability, and robustness of colostrum odor-Toward an olfactory bioassay for human neonates. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22474. [PMID: 38419350 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Human milk odor is attractive and appetitive for human newborns. Here, we studied behavioral and heart-rate (HR) responses of 2-day-old neonates to the odor of human colostrum. To evaluate detection in two conditions of stimulus delivery, we first presented the odor of total colostrum against water. Second, the hedonic specificity of total colostrum odor was tested against vanilla odor. Third, we delivered only the fresh effluvium of colostrum separated from the colostrum matrix; the stability of this colostrum effluvium was then tested after deep congelation; finally, after sorptive extraction of fresh colostrum headspace, we assessed the activity of colostrum volatiles eluting from the gas chromatograph (GC). Regardless of the stimulus-delivery method, neonates displayed attraction reactions (HR decrease) as well as appetitive oral responses to the odor of total colostrum but not to vanilla odor. The effluvium separated from the fresh colostrum matrix remained appetitive but appeared labile under deep freezing. Finally, volatiles from fresh colostrum effluvium remained behaviorally active after GC elution, although at lower magnitude. In sum, fresh colostrum effluvium and its eluate elicited a consistent increase in newborns' oral activity (relative to water or vanilla), and they induced shallow HR decrease. Newborns' appetitive oral behavior was the most reproducible response criterion to the effluvium of colostrum. In conclusion, a set of unidentified volatile compounds from human colostrum is robust enough after extraction from the original matrix and chromatographic processing to continue eliciting appetitive responses in neonates, thus opening new directions to isolate and assay specific volatile molecules of colostrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Klaey-Tassone
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Robert Soussignan
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Sarah Le Roy
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Fabrice Damon
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Angélique Villière
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Catherine Fillonneau
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Carole Prost
- Flavour Research Group, MAPS2, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés-Environnement-Agroalimentaire (GEPEA), CNRS (UMR 6144), ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Bruno Patris
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
| | - Paul Sagot
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Biology, University Hospital Dijon and Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Development of Olfactory Communication and Cognition Laboratory; Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inrae-Institut Agro, Dijon, France
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Buchecker F, Loos HM, Buettner A. Smells like new car or rather like an old carriage? - Resolution of the decay behavior of odorants in vehicle cabins during usage. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e13112. [PMID: 36168231 DOI: 10.1111/ina.13112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The typical new car smell is not only perceived directly after vehicle delivery. Vehicle interiors maintain their characteristic odors for a period of time during use even though the gas composition of the vehicle interior changes due to external influences. To obtain deeper insights into the odorant composition of a passenger cabin, this study aimed at characterizing the gas phase of two vehicle interiors at defined time intervals after vehicle delivery, and use by a customer in a controlled environment using a targeted odorant analysis. Thereby, the decrease in the general emissions in the cars did not coincide with the decay behavior of the odorants due to the chemical characteristics such as polarity of the odorants. Identification of the odorants in the vehicle interior during use revealed three groups of odor contributors exhibiting different decay behaviors: (i) odorants vaporizing rapidly via elevated temperature; (ii) odorants released by continued diffusion from materials; and (iii) fragrance chemicals of the customer. After 23 weeks of vehicle use, octanal, p-chloro-m-cresol, nonanal, p-tert-butylphenol, γ-nonalactone, and unsaturated aldehydes and ketones represented the most important odorants in the vehicle interior constituting the investigated car odor. The results of a descriptive sensory analysis corresponded with the identified odorants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Buchecker
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- BMW Group, Munich, Germany
| | - Helene M Loos
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany
| | - Andrea Buettner
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany
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Comparative Investigation of Conventional and Innovative Headspace Extraction Methods to Explore the Volatile Content of Human Milk. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27165299. [PMID: 36014548 PMCID: PMC9415462 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The odor of human milk induces search-like movements and oral activation in newborns, which increases their chances of taking advantage of milk intake and benefits. However, the underlying volatile fraction of human milk remains understudied. This study aimed to devise a simple method to extract a wide range of volatile compounds from small-volume human milk samples. Headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) with a Car/PDMS fiber and dynamic headspace extraction (D-HS) with a Tenax or a trilayer sorbent were tested because of their selective affinity for volatiles. Then, innovative variations of these methods were developed to combine their respective advantages in a one-step extraction: Static headspace with multiple SPME fibers (S-HS-MultiSPME), Dynamic headspace with multiple SPME fibers (D-HS-MultiSPME) and dynamic headspace with multiple SPME fibers and Tenax (D-HS-MultiSPME/Tenax). The extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric and flame ionization detection. The relative performances of these methods were compared based on qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses of the chromatograms. The D-HS technique showed good sensitivity for most compounds, whereas HS-SPME favored the extraction of acids. The D-HS-MultiSPME/Tenax identified more than 60 compounds from human milk (some for the first time) and evidence of individual singularities. This method that can be applied to volatilome analysis of any biological fluid should further our understanding of human milk odor.
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Tristão RM, Lauand L, Costa KSF, Brant LA, Fernandes GM, Costa KN, Spilski J, Lachmann T. Olfactory sensory and perceptual evaluation in newborn infants: A systematic review. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22201. [PMID: 34674234 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Fetuses are able to process olfactory stimuli present in the womb and continue to show a preference for these odors for months after birth. Despite the accumulated knowledge about their early ability to perceive odors, there is a lack of validated scales for odor response in newborns. The evaluation of reactions of the olfactory system to environmental stimuli in infants has been defined by methodological theoretical approaches of experimental and clinical assessment tools. These approaches are mainly based on psychophysical approaches and predominantly use behavioral and physiological measures. Examples can be found in studies describing early abilities of newborn babies for behaviors or heart rate variability showing memory of maternal food preferences or mother's breast milk. This systematic review aimed to determine whether validated odor assessment tools can be feasibly used in studies. Particularly in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and evidence of associated olfactory impairment resulting from SARS-COV-2 infection, the study is also motivated by the need for tools to assess olfactory function in neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana Maria Tristão
- Faculty of Medicine, Area of Medicine of Child and Adolescent, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Lucas Lauand
- Faculty of Medicine, Area of Medicine of Child and Adolescent, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Alberto Brant
- Faculty of Medicine, Area of Medicine of Child and Adolescent, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Geraldo Magela Fernandes
- Faculty of Medicine, Area of Medicine of Child and Adolescent, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Karina Nascimento Costa
- Faculty of Medicine, Area of Medicine of Child and Adolescent, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Jan Spilski
- Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Thomas Lachmann
- Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.,Centro de Ciencia Cognitiva, Facultad de Lenguas y Educación, Universidad Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
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Debong MW, N'Diaye K, Owsienko D, Schöberl D, Ammar T, Lang R, Buettner A, Hofmann T, Loos HM. Dietary Linalool is Transferred into the Milk of Nursing Mothers. Mol Nutr Food Res 2021; 65:e2100507. [PMID: 34658145 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202100507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
SCOPE Breast milk is repeatedly postulated to shape the first aroma and taste impressions of infants and thus impact their flavor learning. The objective of this study is to assess the transition of aroma compounds from a customary curry dish into milk. METHODS AND RESULTS The article prepares a standardized curry dish and administers the dish to nursing mothers (n = 18) in an intervention study. The participants donate one milk sample before and three samples after the intervention. Due to their olfactory or quantitative relevance in the curry dish, 1,8-cineole, linalool, cuminaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, sotolone, eugenol, vanillin, and γ-nonalactone are defined as target compounds, and their transition into milk is quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A significant transition into the milk is observed for linalool, and its olfactory relevance in this respect is supported by calculated odor activity values. In contrast, no relevant levels are detected for the other eight target compounds. CONCLUSION Ingestion of a customary curry dish can lead to an alteration of the milk aroma, which might be perceived by the infant during breastfeeding. The current study also demonstrates that the extent of aroma transfer differs between both substances and individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel W Debong
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Katharina N'Diaye
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Straße 34, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Diana Owsienko
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Str. 35, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Daniela Schöberl
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Str. 35, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Tayyaba Ammar
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Roman Lang
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Straße 34, Freising, 85354, Germany.,Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at Technical University Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Andrea Buettner
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Str. 35, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Thomas Hofmann
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Straße 34, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Helene M Loos
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Str. 35, Freising, 85354, Germany
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Schaal B, Saxton TK, Loos H, Soussignan R, Durand K. Olfaction scaffolds the developing human from neonate to adolescent and beyond. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190261. [PMID: 32306879 PMCID: PMC7209940 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of the olfactory sense is regularly apparent across development. The fetus is bathed in amniotic fluid (AF) that conveys the mother's chemical ecology. Transnatal olfactory continuity between the odours of AF and milk assists in the transition to nursing. At the same time, odours emanating from the mammary areas provoke appetitive responses in newborns. Odours experienced from the mother's diet during breastfeeding, and from practices such as pre-mastication, may assist in the dietary transition at weaning. In parallel, infants are attracted to and recognize their mother's odours; later, children are able to recognize other kin and peers based on their odours. Familiar odours, such as those of the mother, regulate the child's emotions, and scaffold perception and learning through non-olfactory senses. During juvenility and adolescence, individuals become more sensitive to some bodily odours, while the timing of adolescence itself has been speculated to draw from the chemical ecology of the family unit. Odours learnt early in life and within the family niche continue to influence preferences as mate choice becomes relevant. Olfaction thus appears significant in turning on, sustaining and, in cases when mother odour is altered, disturbing adaptive reciprocity between offspring and carer during the multiple transitions of development between birth and adolescence. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoist Schaal
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût, UMR 6265 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Inra-AgroSup, Dijon, France
| | - Tamsin K. Saxton
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hélène Loos
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany
| | - Robert Soussignan
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût, UMR 6265 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Inra-AgroSup, Dijon, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût, UMR 6265 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Inra-AgroSup, Dijon, France
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Ferdenzi C, Razafindrazaka H, Baldovini N, Poupon D, Pierron D, Bensafi M. Influence of gender and culture on the perception of acidic compounds of human body odor. Physiol Behav 2019; 210:112561. [PMID: 31178171 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that human body odor is involved in interpersonal communication. However, among the wide variety of substances excreted by the human body that might act as chemosignals, much attention has been granted to androstenes to the detriment of other categories. Here, we focused on the acidic fraction of human body odor. We investigated men and women's perceptual descriptions and detection thresholds of the sexually dimorphic (male) compound 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid (HMHA) in two contrasted cultures, France and Madagascar. Perceptual responses to HMHA in both countries were very similar. HMHA proved to be more typical of body odor than another chemically-related major compound of human body odor 3MHA (3-methylhex-2-enoic acid also known as 3M2H). A significant portion of the samples studied (between 8 and 19%) was likely to be anosmic to HMHA (and to 3MHA: 25%). Although differences would be expected between men and women's perceptual responses to HMHA, based on the assumption that this compound would have a function in human partner choice, no sex differences were found for any of the perceptual variables. However, in Malagasy women, perceived intensity of HMHA was higher in participants who were in the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle. Whether HMHA is relevant in the perception of a potential partner thus requires further explorations, with more implicit approaches for example and/or by investigating the repercussions of HMHA specific anosmia on interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Ferdenzi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, 95 bd Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France.
| | - Harilanto Razafindrazaka
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université Toulouse 3, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse Cedex 3, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France; Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 21 allée de Brienne, 31015 Cedex 6, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Baldovini
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 28 avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Daphnée Poupon
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, 95 bd Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Denis Pierron
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université Toulouse 3, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse Cedex 3, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, 95 bd Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
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Zhang R, Pan Y, Ahmed L, Block E, Zhang Y, Batista VS, Zhuang H. A Multispecific Investigation of the Metal Effect in Mammalian Odorant Receptors for Sulfur-Containing Compounds. Chem Senses 2019; 43:357-366. [PMID: 29659735 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Metal-coordinating compounds are generally known to have strong smells, a phenomenon that can be attributed to the fact that odorant receptors for intense-smelling compounds, such as those containing sulfur, may be metalloproteins. We previously identified a mouse odorant receptor (OR), Olfr1509, that requires copper ions for sensitive detection of a series of metal-coordinating odorants, including (methylthio)methanethiol (MTMT), a strong-smelling component of male mouse urine that attracts female mice. By combining mutagenesis and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) modeling, we identified candidate binding sites in Olfr1509 that may bind to the copper-MTMT complex. However, whether there are other receptors utilizing metal ions for ligand-binding and other sites important for receptor activation is still unknown. In this study, we describe a second mouse OR for MTMT with a copper effect, namely Olfr1019. In an attempt to investigate the functional changes of metal-coordinating ORs in multiple species and to decipher additional sites involved in the metal effect, we cloned various mammalian orthologs of the 2 mouse MTMT receptors, and a third mouse MTMT receptor, Olfr15, that does not have a copper effect. We found that the function of all 3 MTMT receptors varies greatly among species and that the response to MTMT always co-occurred with the copper effect. Furthermore, using ancestral reconstruction and QM/MM modeling combined with receptor functional assay, we found that the amino acid residue R260 in Olfr1509 and the respective R261 site in Olfr1019 may be important for receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruina Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yi Pan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Lucky Ahmed
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eric Block
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, NY, USA
| | - Yuetian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | | | - Hanyi Zhuang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine/Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xuhui District, Shanghai, P. R. China
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Loos HM, Reger D, Schaal B. The odour of human milk: Its chemical variability and detection by newborns. Physiol Behav 2019; 199:88-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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11
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Ellis CT, Turk-Browne NB. Infant fMRI: A Model System for Cognitive Neuroscience. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:375-387. [PMID: 29487030 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Revised: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the typical human brain has benefitted greatly from studying different kinds of brains and their associated behavioral repertoires, including animal models and neuropsychological patients. This same comparative perspective can be applied to early development - the environment, behavior, and brains of infants provide a model system for understanding how the mature brain works. This approach requires noninvasive methods for measuring brain function in awake, behaving infants. fMRI is becoming increasingly viable for this purpose, with the unique ability to precisely measure the entire brain, including both cortical and subcortical structures. Here we discuss potential lessons from infant fMRI for several domains of adult cognition and consider the challenges of conducting such research and how they might be mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron T Ellis
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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