Title: | The multi-faceted food odorant 4-methylphenol selectively activates evolutionary conserved receptor OR9Q2 |
Author(s): | Haag F; Frey T; Hoffmann S; Kreissl J; Stein J; Kobal G; Hauner H; Krautwurst D; |
Address: | "Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany. Gerd Kobal FRH Consulting LLC, 3124 Rock Cress Lane, Sandy Hook, VA23153, USA. Institute of Nutritional Medicine, Else Kroner Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 62, 80992 Munich, Germany. Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany. Electronic address: d.krautwurst.leibniz-lsb@tum.de" |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136492 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-7072 (Electronic) 0308-8146 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "4-Methylphenol is a food-related odor-active volatile with a high recognition factor, due to its horse stable-like, fecal odor quality. Its ambivalent hedonic impact as key aroma compound, malodor, and semiochemical has spurred the search for its cognate, chemosensory odorant receptors across species. A human odorant receptor for the highly characteristic 4-methylphenol has been elusive. Here, we identified and characterized human receptor OR9Q2 to be tuned to purified 4-methylphenol, but not to its contaminant isomer 3-methylphenol. This highly selective function of OR9Q2 complements an exclusive phenol detection gap in the ancient, most broadly tuned human odorant receptor OR2W1. Moreover, a 4-methylphenol function is evolutionary conserved in phylogenetically related OR9Q2 orthologs from chimpanzee, mouse, and cow. Notably, the cow receptor outperformed human OR9Q2 10-fold in signal strength, consonant with previous reports of 4-methylphenol as a bovine pheromone. Our results suggest OR9Q2 as best sensor for the key food odorant, malodor, and semiochemical 4-methylphenol" |
Keywords: | "Female Animals Cattle Humans Mice Horses *Odorants/analysis *Receptors, Odorant/genetics Phenols Pheromones G-protein coupled receptor High throughput screening High-impact aroma compound Malodor Narrowly tuned P-cresol;" |
Notes: | "MedlineHaag, Franziska Frey, Tim Hoffmann, Sandra Kreissl, Johanna Stein, Jorg Kobal, Gerd Hauner, Hans Krautwurst, Dietmar eng England 2023/06/10 Food Chem. 2023 Nov 15; 426:136492. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136492. Epub 2023 Jun 1" |