# Characterization of MS4A Chemoreceptive Function

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · 2022 · $32,496

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 As animals explore their environment, they encounter millions of chemical signals that must be correctly
interpreted to identify food and mates and to avoid predation. In mammals, the majority of this chemical
information is detected by the sensory neurons of the olfactory system, (OSNs), which express more than one
thousand distinct olfactory receptors (ORs), specialized chemoreceptors that sense volatile, chemical
odorants. While many of these receptors have been molecularly defined, how they function to elicit appropriate
behavioral responses remains largely unclear (i.e., how does a mouse know to run away from a cat and toward
a piece of cheese). This proposal outlines a series of experiments aimed at taking advantage of the
opportunities offered by the olfactory system to begin to characterize the mechanisms by which chemosensory
information is detected and processed to generate specific, stereotyped behavioral responses.
 We have recently identified a new family of olfactory receptors encoded by the Ms4a family of genes,
which our preliminary experiments suggest are required to mediate innate avoidance responses to stimuli such
as predator-derived odorants that signify danger to the animal. However, how MS4A receptors function to elicit
these behaviors is largely unknown, which significantly impairs our understanding of how the olfactory system
interprets relevant sensory stimuli to elicit appropriate behavioral responses. To begin to elucidate MS4A
chemoreceptor function, in Aim 1 I will use mutagenesis, electrophysiology, and calcium imaging to determine
how MS4As bind ligands and signal their presence. In Aim 2, I will use ex vivo and in vivo preparations as well
as mouse behavioral assays to determine the contribution of MS4As to transducing predator odor presence
into appropriate innate avoidance responses. Together, the experiments proposed here will characterize a
novel family of odorant receptor and how it signals the presence of ethologically relevant odors. Broadly
speaking, these studies seek to illuminate basic principles of olfaction, provide insight into mammalian
chemosensation, and shed light on the neural pathways associated with sensory perception.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10458530
- **Project number:** 5F31DC019051-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Anna Wortman
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $32,496
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2023-07-08

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10458530

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10458530, Characterization of MS4A Chemoreceptive Function (5F31DC019051-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10458530. Licensed CC0.

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