Among the insect olfactory receptors the odorant receptors (ORs) evolved in parallel to the onset of insect flight. A special property of this receptor type is the capability to adjust sensitivity of odor detection according to previous odor contacts. This article presents a current view on regulatory processes affecting the performance of ORs and proposes a model of mechanisms contributing to OR sensitization.
Keywords: GPCR; chemoreception; intracellular signaling; ionotropic receptor; odorant receptor; olfaction; receptor kinase.