Hiroaki Matsunami

This study investigates how odorant receptors regulate selectivity and antagonism through allosteric gating mechanisms using simulations and experiments.

The paper shows that rapid odorant metabolism in the olfactory mucosa generates secondary odorants that reshape odor representations by introducing timing-based distinctions between inhaled and internally-generated odorants.

The paper trains a deep learning model to predict odorant receptor-ligand interactions using structural and functional data, revealing structural determinants of ligand selectivity.

The paper identifies a diverse and variable odorant receptor repertoire in birds, including the kiwi, and reveals gene conversion as a mechanism for generating functional diversity in avian olfaction.

The paper identifies Z chromosome genes whose expression is influenced by estrogen treatment and associated with vocal learning in female zebra finches.

The paper uses engineered odorant receptors to uncover structural principles of odor discrimination by solving cryoEM structures of consensus ORs and comparing their ligand recognition properties.

The paper identifies odorant antagonists that reduce perception of malodors by interacting with olfactory receptors.

The paper identifies inflammatory changes in olfactory epithelial stem cells associated with presbyosmia using single-cell RNA sequencing and culture models.

The paper identifies odorant ligands for over 500 mouse olfactory receptors and shows that molecular properties of odorants predict receptor responses and selectivity.

The paper spatially maps olfactory receptors to glomeruli in the mouse olfactory bulb using targeted transcriptomics.

This study examines the effects of estrogen on vocal learning in zebra finches, finding that estrogen suppression in males impairs song learning but not nucleus size or most transcriptome features, while estrogen treatment in females preserves song system function.

The paper identifies cell-type specific genes in olfactory bulb projection neurons using single-cell RNA-seq and validates them as Cre-driver markers for genetic labeling.

The paper identifies sexually dimorphic olfactory sensory neurons in mice that respond to male-specific semiochemicals and show plasticity when exposed to sex-combined housing.

The paper identifies non-neuronal cell types in the olfactory system expressing SARS-CoV-2 entry genes, suggesting indirect mechanisms for COVID-19-associated anosmia.

The paper uses machine learning to predict olfactory receptor-odorant pairs and basal activity from sequence data, identifying key residues that determine selectivity and activity.

The paper compares V1R gene diversity in nocturnal and diurnal lemurs, finding a correlation between nocturnality and expanded V1R repertoires.

The paper investigates how genetic variation in olfactory receptors affects odor perception by analyzing sequencing data and phenotypes from 332 individuals.

The paper quantifies olfactory neuron subtype abundance in mice and shows genetic and environmental factors shape olfactory diversity.