Visual detection of odorant geraniol enabled by integration of a human olfactory receptor into polydiacetylene/lipid nano-assembly

Nanoscale. 2019 Apr 23;11(16):7582-7587. doi: 10.1039/c9nr00249a.

Abstract

A new polydiacetylene lipid/human olfactory receptor nano-assembly was fabricated for the visual detection of an odorant for the first time. The assembly consisted of phospholipid-mixed polydiacetylenes (PDAs) and human olfactory receptors (hORs) in detergent micelles. To overcome the limitations of bioelectronic noses, hOR-embedded chromatic complexes (PDA/hORs) were developed, introducing PDAs that showed color and fluorescence transitions against various stimuli. The chromatic nanocomplexes reacted with target molecules, showing a fluorescence intensity increase in a dose-dependent manner and target selectivity among various odorants. As a result, a color transition of the assembly from blue to purple occurred, allowing the visual detection of the odorant geraniol. Through circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and a tryptophan fluorescence quenching method, the structural and functional properties of the hORs embedded in the complexes were confirmed. Based on this first work, future array devices, integrating multiple nano-assemblies, can be substantiated and utilized in environmental assessment and analysis of food quality.

MeSH terms

  • Acyclic Monoterpenes
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Humans
  • Lipids / chemistry*
  • Micelles
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Polyacetylene Polymer / chemistry*
  • Receptors, Odorant / chemistry*
  • Receptors, Odorant / genetics
  • Receptors, Odorant / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Terpenes / analysis*
  • Terpenes / chemistry
  • Terpenes / metabolism

Substances

  • Acyclic Monoterpenes
  • Lipids
  • Micelles
  • Polyacetylene Polymer
  • Receptors, Odorant
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Terpenes
  • polydiacetylene
  • geraniol