ABSTRACT
The correct interpretation of sensory information is vital to an organism’s survival. Among sensory modalities, the olfactory system has daunted many investigators seeking to understand the molecular aspects of its signal transduction and coding mechanisms (Buck, 1996; Getchell, 1986; Getchell et al., 1985). The ability of the olfactory system to discriminate among thousands of odors comprised of chemically divergent structures (odorants) posed unique challenges that have been answered only by a combination of molecular, electrophysiological, and cell biological approaches. What has emerged is that olfactory transduction combines unique receptive molecules with classical transduction cascades to detect olfactory stimuli. What is provocative is that many cascades are activated in response to odorant detection whose roles we are only beginning to be appreciated.
