Odorant Receptors

Odorant molecule binds to odorant receptor

Odorant receptor undergoes conformational changes
Odorant receptor activates G-protein complex
G-protein complex activates membrane-bound enzyme, adenylate cyclase
Adenylate cyclase catalyzes the conversion of ATP to cAMP
Intracellular cAMP concentrations go up
Increased intracellular cAMP concentrations activate cAMP-gated ion channels
that let Na and Ca in
Influx of Na and Ca causes membrane depolarization
Membrane depolarization causes voltage-dependent Na channels to open and
allows influx of Na
Influx of Na causes further membrane depolarization which causes more
voltage-dependent Na channels to open, which may end up causing the cell
to fire in response to the binding of the odorant

Taste Receptors

Salty
o Taste receptor cell makes synaptic connections with primary afferent
neuron
o Eating salty foods causes an increase in extracellular Na concentration
o An increase in extracellular Na concentration causes Na to go down an
electrochemical gradient thru the Na channel
o Influx of Na causes graded membrane depolarization
o Membrane depolarization activates voltage-dependent Ca channels to
open and Ca influx down an electrochemical gradient
o Increase in intracellular Ca concentration triggers exocytosis which
releases neurotransmitter to bind to receptors on the primary afferent
neuron
o Intensity of the stimulus determines intensity of the response, meaning
degree of depolarization of the membrane determines the rate of
exocytosis and probably the firing frequency of the primary afferent
neuron
Sour
o When you eat sour food, its highly acidic and its the hydrogen ions
(hydronium ions) that increase in concentration in the extracellular
space
o Increase in extracellular H+ concentration causes increased inhibition
of K channels
o Inhibition of K channels prevents K efflux, while at the same time Na is
leaking in
o Membrane starts to get depolarized and thus activates voltagedependent Ca channels

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Increased intracellular free Ca concentration triggers exocytosis which

releases neurotransmitter
The more acidic the outside the cell is, the more K channels get
inhibited, the less K efflux you get, the more membrane depolarization
you get, more activation of voltage-dependent Ca channels, more
exocytosis, and higher firing frequency at the level of the primary
afferent neuron

Sweet
o Sweet molecule binds to receptor and receptor undergoes
conformational changes
o G-protein is activated
o G-protein activates adenylate cyclase
o Increaed cAMP concentration causes activation of cAMP-dependent
protein kinases
o cAMP-dependent protein kinases phosphorylate K channels, preventing
K efflux
o Inhibition of K efflux and Na leakage in causes membrane
depolarization
o Membrane depolarization causes activation of voltage-dependent Ca
channels
o Blah
Bitter
o Bitter molecule binds to receptor that causes activation of G-protein
o G-protein activates phospholipase C which catalyzes the conversion of
PIP2 to IP3
o Increased IP3 concentration allows IP3 to bind to Ca channels on
endoplasmic reticulum
o Activation of Ca channels on endoplasmic reticulum allow Ca efflux
(from the lumen of organelle into cytoplasm)
o Increased intracellular free Ca does the same shit

Phototransduction

Rhabdomeric
o Photon of light at a certain wavelength hits rhodopsin and causes a cis
trans isomerization of cis retinal
o Trans retinal dissociates from opsin binding site causing conformational
changes of rhodopsin and that activates G-protein complex
o G-protein complex activates phospholipase C which catalyzes the
hydrolysis of PIP2 into IP3 and DAG
o IP3 is water-soluble and diffuses into the cytoplasm while DAG is lipidsoluble and activates a cation channel that doesnt discriminate b/w Na
and Ca
o Na and Ca come in and depolarize the membrane
Ciliary

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Photon of light at a certain wavelength hits rhodopsin and causes a cis

trans isomerization of cis retinal
Trans retinal dissociates from opsin binding site causing conformational
changes of rhodopsin and that activates G-protein complex
G-protein complex activates phosphodiesterase that catalyzes the
conversion of cGMP to GMP
Decrease in cGMP concentrations and increase in GMP concentrations
lead to inhibition of cGMP-dependent Na channels
Inhibition of cGMP-dependent Na channels leads to hyperpolarization
which might mean less neurotransmitter release