Molecular Dynamics of the olfactory receptor bound to propionate

🌺 The sense of smell allows us to perceive a wide palette of odors, each associated with a specific combination of activated olfactory receptors. These transmembrane GPCRs have a flower-like structure, with the helical core embedded in the olfactory epithelium membrane, while the exposed flexible loops interact with odor molecules. The structural dynamics of these molecular machines are essential in controlling the activation and transmission of olfactory signals to the brain.
🔮 This animation illustrates an odor molecule within the flexible odorant-binding cavity of the trace amine-associated olfactory receptor, as observed in an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. Let's see how the molecular dance within the binding cavity can be transmitted to the fluctuations of the entire receptor, orchestrated by the dynamics of the olfactory membrane.
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#Olfaction #OdorantBinding #GPCR #ComputationalChemistry #StructuralBiology #MolecularModeling #MolecularDynamics #Visualization