High-affinity olfactory receptor for the death-associated odor cadaverine

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 110; no. 48; pp. 19579 - 19584
• Main Authors: Hussain, Ashiq, Saraiva, Luis R., Ferrero, David M., Ahuja, Gaurav, Krishna, Venkatesh S., Liberles, Stephen D., Korsching, Sigrun I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences 26.11.2013; NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Amines; Amino acids; Animal behavior; Animals; Appetitive Behavior - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Sciences; Blotting, Western; Cadaverine - chemistry; Cadaverine - metabolism; Cadaverine - pharmacology; Chemosensory perception; Chromatography, Liquid; Cloning, Molecular; Danio rerio; Diamines; Fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immunohistochemistry; Ligands; Mass Spectrometry; Neurons; Neuropsychology; Odors; Olfactory perception; Olfactory receptors; Phylogeny; Putrescine - chemistry; Putrescine - metabolism; Putrescine - pharmacology; Receptors; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - genetics; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - metabolism; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - physiology; Receptors, Odorant - genetics; Receptors, Odorant - metabolism; Receptors, Odorant - physiology; Sensory neurons; Somesthesis and somesthetic pathways (proprioception, exteroception, nociception); interoception; electrolocation. Sensory receptors; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - physiology; aversion; Polyamine; Danio rerio; Olfactory receptor; heterologous expression; Sensory receptor; Odor; polyamines
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1318596110

Carrion smell is strongly repugnant to humans and triggers distinct innate behaviors in many other species. This smell is mainly carried by two small aliphatic diamines, putrescine and cadaverine, which are generated by bacterial decarboxylation of the basic amino acids ornithine and lysine. Depending on the species, these diamines may also serve as feeding attractants, oviposition attractants, or social cues. Behavioral responses to diamines have not been investigated in zebrafish, a powerful model system for studying vertebrate olfaction. Furthermore, olfactory receptors that detect cadaverine and putrescine have not been identified in any species so far. Here, we show robust olfactory-mediated avoidance behavior of zebrafish to cadaverine and related diamines, and concomitant activation of sparse olfactory sensory neurons by these diamines. The large majority of neurons activated by low concentrations of cadaverine expresses a particular olfactory receptor, trace amine-associated receptor 13c (TAAR13c). Structure-activity analysis indicates TAAR13c to be a general diamine sensor, with pronounced selectivity for odd chains of medium length. This receptor can also be activated by decaying fish extracts, a physiologically relevant source of diamines. The identification of a sensitive zebrafish olfactory receptor for these diamines provides a molecular basis for studying neural circuits connecting sensation, perception, and innate behavior.