Odorivector receptor site

Adenyl cyclases are highly complex enzyme systems consisting of several interacting submits. The system described above contains a submit with two regulatory sites One for the odorivector which acts as an activator for the catalytic site of the adenyl cyclase system imbedded in a second submit. The other regulatory site in the first submit then can act as an allosteric regulatory site for activators or inhibitors and in this manner regulate the conformation of the specific odorivector receptor site. 

Most, perhaps all of the odor theories advanced so far made the assumption that the transcription of structureil information encoded in the stimulant molecule into an odor information pattern is an integral process One odorivector (AMOORE, 2) interacts with one receptor site and this interaction resvilts in transcription of all structural components simviltaneously into their corresponding informational modalities. However, observation tells us that olfactory information is inherently complex Ambergris for instance is described (OHLOFF, 3) by six distinctly different notes. This would imply that in an integral process of the periphersil molecular interaction one single neuron has to detect at least six different profiles with six different receptor sites and project the informational modalities intact to the higher centers. 

In short, ligand formation of one odorivector molecule with a receptor site having a complementary structure to structural elements of the odorivector would result in formation of a single bit of chemoreceptory information. The acceptor system is a modular system in which the transducer and the transponder can remain un-... 

In any case, whatever amount of structural modality may be contained in the odorivector structure has to be transcribed totally or partially in the transduction process. More precisely, this transcription process has to be effected in the peripheral interaction of the odorivector with the receptor site leading to ligand formation. The resilLting complex is bound by weak and reversible bonds, such as hydrogen bonds or Van der Waals forces. In most cases the receptor site is the proton donor, most likely through free thiol groups. In some special cases the reverse process, in which the odorivector acts as a proton donor, may be operational. 

In order to achieve weak bond formation the ligand has to fit into the receptor site in such a way as to bring weeik bond forming sites of the odorivector and the receptor site within striking distance. This is the same process as the one assumed in drug/ receptor interactions. It was recognized in molecular pharmacolo-... 

Odorivector molecviles can contain an almost unlimited number of profiles. Of these are only a few explicit, but with increasing conformational freedom a rapidly increasing number of implicit ones are potentially possible. This raises the question about the number of complementary receptor sites necessary to deal unambiguously and efficiently with the transcription of structural into informational modalities. The concept of multiple profile - multiple receptor sites provides no indication how the actual number of receptor site types covild be deduced. However the minimum number required to encode the total olfactory spectrum perceived by man can be estimated by means of basic principles of information theory. For that a few simple assmptions have to be made ... 

In all of these examples of regulation of transcription of profiles by allosteric regulation of receptor sites by active profiles THE DUAL NATURE OF ODORIVECTORS manifests itself. This is a new principle postulated to be pertinent in all mixtures of odorivectors. In its most extended scope this principle states that all odorivectors have two functions To display their own intrinsic odor and at the same time act as regulator in the odor perception of a copresent odorivector. The latter is achieved by allosteric regulation in a peripheral process. 

That this peripheral interaction of odorivectors is a reality and not Just a postulate resulting from lengthy speculations has been confirmed by statistically significant experimental proof obtained in malodor/"antlmalodor"-interaction studies (l ), and on a more general base, in odor/odor-interactions. These resiolts give implicit proof that specific receptor sites for moleciLLar and active profiles exist. 

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