Abstract 2836 Blocking odor-evoked potassium conductance diminishes zinc nanoparticle enhancement of olfactory response

The basis of olfaction is the conversion of chemical odorant stimuli from the external environment into electrical signals transmitted between communicating neurons which results in cognitive processing and perception. In mammals, the initial odorant binding event occurs at the olfactory receptor (OR) embedded in the cell membrane of olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) cilia. As members of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family, OR activation initiates a cascade of enzymatic activity and second messengers that stimulate ion channel conductance across the cellular membrane which can be recorded at the epithelial surface as a summation of voltage potential, or electroolfactogram (EOG).