Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. STKE, 21 August 2007
Vol. 2007, Issue 400, p. tw304
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.4002007tw304]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Cell Biology Smell the CO2

L. Bryan Ray

Science, Science’s STKE, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA

Although invertebrates are known to sense and show behavioral responses to concentrations of CO2 similar to those in Earth's atmosphere, it has been unclear whether the mammalian olfactory system also can sense such amounts of CO2. Hu et al. describe a set of olfactory neurons that appear to allow detection of concentrations of CO2 about 70% greater than those in air. The neurons express carbonic anhydrase II, which catabolizes CO2 and appears to be required as part of the sensing mechanism.

J. Hu, C. Zhong, C. Ding, Q. Chi, A. Walz, P. Mombaerts, H. Matsunami, M. Luo, Detection of near-atmospheric concentrations of CO2 by an olfactory subsystem in the mouse. Science 317, 953-957 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: L. B. Ray, Smell the CO2. Sci. STKE 2007, tw304 (2007).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882