Functions of olfactory receptors are decoded from their sequence

Abstract

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) conserve common structural folds and activation mechanisms, yet their ligand spectra and functions are highly diversified. This work investigated how the functional variations in olfactory GPCRs (ORs)-the largest GPCR family-are encoded in the primary sequence. With the aid of site-directed mutagenesis and molecular simulations, we built machine learning models to predict OR-ligand pairs as well as basal activity of ORs. In vitro functional assay confirmed 20 new OR-odorant pairs, including 9 orphan ORs. Residues around the odorant-binding pocket dictate the odorant selectivity/specificity of the ORs. Residues that encode the varied basal activities of the ORs were found to mostly surround the conserved motifs as well as the binding pocket. The machine learning approach, which is readily applicable to mammalian OR families, will accelerate OR-odorant mapping and the decoding of combinatorial OR codes for odors.