G蛋白偶联受体40的研究进展

G蛋白偶联受体40（GPR40）是中、长链游离脂肪酸的内源性受体。它介导了游离脂肪酸对葡萄糖刺激的胰岛素分泌的双时相效应。对GPR40敲除小鼠的研究表明，GPR40缺陷对高脂饮食下的脂肪肝、胰岛素抵抗及糖耐量异常的发生具有保护作用，而β细胞过度表达GPR40则导致β细胞功能的损伤和糖尿病的发生。     

Detection of the human GPR50 orphan seven transmembrane protein by polyclonal antibodies mapping different epitopes

GPR50 is an orphan seven transmembrane protein related to the melatonin receptor subfamily comprising MT(1) and MT(2) receptors. In the absence of any known ligand for GPR50, other tools are critical for the characterization of this protein. Here, we describe the generation, purification and characterization of the first rabbit polyclonal antibodies generated against peptides corresponding to the N-terminus, C-terminus and two additional regions within the intracellular tail of GPR50. Immune sera were purified on peptide-antigen affinity columns. Antibodies specifically recognized a GPR50-YFP fusion protein on the plasma membrane of HEK 293 cells in immunofluorescence experiments. In Western blot experiments, the monomeric and dimeric forms of GPR50 were detected as proteins of 66 and 130 kDa, respectively. In addition, these new antibodies were sufficiently sensitive to detect GPR50 in brain slices of the rat pituitary and human hippocampus. In conclusion, we successfully produced antibodies against the orphan GPR50 protein that will become valuable tools for functional studies of this protein.     

神经肽kisspeptins与胰岛素分泌

神经肽kisspeptins(KISS1基因编码)及其受体KISS1R[又称为G蛋白耦联受体54(GPR54)]不仅在大脑区域表达,而且存在于脂肪、肝脏、胰腺等外周组织中.新近研究发现,胰高血糖素通过cAMP-蛋白激酶A-cAMP反应元件结合蛋白通路来刺激肝脏产生神经肽kisspeptins,不同浓度的kisspeptins通过胰岛因子-1作用于GPR54对胰岛素分泌产生不同的影响.同时,kisspeptins信号受损也会导致肥胖的发生.神经肽kisspeptins可影响胰岛素的分泌,提示生殖系统轴、胰岛素分泌及肝脏之间存在一定关系,这些发现有利于进一步理解胰岛素分泌的调节机制.     

Cell surface targeting of mu-delta opioid receptor heterodimers by RTP4

μ opioid receptors are G protein–coupled receptors that mediate the pain-relieving effects of clinically used analgesics, such as morphine. Accumulating evidence shows that μ-δ opioid heterodimers have a pharmacologic profile distinct from those of the μ or δ homodimers. Because the heterodimers exhibit distinct signaling properties, the protein and mechanism regulating their levels have significant effects on morphine-mediated physiology. We report the characterization of RTP4, a Golgi chaperone, as a regulator of the levels of heterodimers at the cell surface. We show that the association with RTP4 protects μ-δ receptors from ubiquitination and degradation. This leads to increases in surface heterodimer levels, thereby affecting signaling. Thus, the oligomeric organization of opioid receptors is controlled by RTP4, and this governs their membrane targeting and functional activity. This work is the first report of the identification of a chaperone involved in the regulation of the biogenesis of a family A GPCR heterodimer. The identification of such factors as RTP4 controlling dimerization will provide insight into the regulation of heterodimers in vivo. This has implications in the modulation of pharmacology of their endogenous ligands, and in the development of drugs with specific therapeutic effects.     

Cis- and trans-splicing of mRNAs mediated by tRNA sequences in eukaryotic cells

The formation of chimeric mRNAs is a strategy used by human cells to increase the complexity of their proteome, as revealed by the ENCODE project. Here, we use Saccharomyces cerevisiae to show a way by which trans-spliced mRNAs can be generated. We demonstrate that a pretRNA inserted into a premRNA context directs the splicing reaction precisely to the sites of the tRNA intron. A suppressor pretRNA gene was inserted, in cis, into the sequence encoding the third cytoplasmic loop of the Ste2 or Ste3 G protein-coupled receptor. The hybrid RNAs are spliced at the specific pretRNA splicing sites, releasing both functional tRNAs that suppress nonsense mutations and translatable mRNAs that activate the signal transduction pathway. The RNA molecules extracted from yeast cells were amplified by RT-PCR, and their sequences were determined, confirming the identity of the splice junctions. We then constructed two fusions between the premRNA sequence (STE2 or STE3) and the 5'- or 3'-pretRNA half, so that the two hybrid RNAs can associate with each other, in trans, through their tRNA halves. Splicing occurs at the predicted pretRNA sites, producing a chimeric STE3-STE2 receptor mRNA. RNA trans-splicing mediated by tRNA sequences, therefore, is a mechanism capable of producing new kinds of RNAs, which could code for novel proteins.     

Structural requirements of bitter taste receptor activation

An important question in taste research is how 25 receptors of the human TAS2R family detect thousands of structurally diverse compounds. An answer to this question may arise from the observation that TAS2Rs in general are broadly tuned to interact with numerous substances. Ultimately, interaction with chemically diverse agonists requires architectures of binding pockets tailored to combine flexibility with selectivity. The present study determines the structure of hTAS2R binding pockets. We focused on a subfamily of closely related hTAS2Rs exhibiting pronounced amino acid sequence identities but unique agonist activation spectra. The generation of chimeric and mutant receptors followed by calcium imaging analyses identified receptor regions and amino acid residues critical for activation of hTAS2R46, -R43, and -R31. We found that the carboxyl-terminal regions of the investigated receptors are crucial for agonist selectivity. Intriguingly, exchanging two residues located in transmembrane domain seven between hTAS2R46, activated by strychnine, and hTAS2R31, activated by aristolochic acid, was sufficient to invert agonist selectivity. Further mutagenesis revealed additional positions involved in agonist interaction. The transfer of functionally relevant amino acids identified in hTAS2R46 to the corresponding positions of hTAS2R43 and -R31 resulted in pharmacological properties indistinguishable from the parental hTAS2R46. In silico modeling of hTAS2R46 allowed us to visualize the putative mode of interaction between agonists and hTAS2Rs. Detailed structure-function analyses of hTAS2Rs may ultimately pave the way for the development of specific antagonists urgently needed for more sophisticated analyses of human bitter taste perception.     

G protein-coupled odorant receptors underlie mechanosensitivity in mammalian olfactory sensory neurons

Mechanosensitive cells are essential for organisms to sense the external and internal environments, and a variety of molecules have been implicated as mechanical sensors. Here we report that odorant receptors (ORs), a large family of G protein-coupled receptors, underlie the responses to both chemical and mechanical stimuli in mouse olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Genetic ablation of key signaling proteins in odor transduction or disruption of OR–G protein coupling eliminates mechanical responses. Curiously, OSNs expressing different OR types display significantly different responses to mechanical stimuli. Genetic swap of putatively mechanosensitive ORs abolishes or reduces mechanical responses of OSNs. Furthermore, ectopic expression of an OR restores mechanosensitivity in loss-of-function OSNs. Lastly, heterologous expression of an OR confers mechanosensitivity to its host cells. These results indicate that certain ORs are both necessary and sufficient to cause mechanical responses, revealing a previously unidentified mechanism for mechanotransduction.Mechanosensitive cells that convert physical force into biochemical or electrical signals play critical roles in sensing the external and internal environments. A variety of molecules have been implicated as mechanical sensors in different cell types (1–3), but our understanding of the mechanical sensors is still limited. We previously discovered that some OSNs in the mammalian nose responded to mechanical stimulation (4), a feature that may allow the nose to carry an afferent signal of breathing to the brain and facilitate binding of orofacial sensation (5). In the current study, we aim to identify the mechanical sensor(s) and mechanotransduction pathway in OSNs.In mammals, smell perception depends on a large family of ORs expressed in OSNs. Out of a repertoire of >1,000 ORs (6, 7), each OSN expresses a single type, which determines its response profile and central target in the brain. Binding of odorant molecules with specific ORs activates the olfactory G protein G_olf, which in turn activates type III adenylyl cyclase (ACIII). ACIII activation causes increased production of cAMP, which opens a cyclic nucleotide-gated cation (CNG) channel. The inward current via the CNG channel is further amplified by Cl⁻ outflow through a calcium-activated Cl⁻ channel. This transduction cascade leads to depolarization of OSNs, which fire action potentials carrying the odor information to the brain (8). OSNs expressing the same OR are scattered in one of the few broadly defined zones in the olfactory epithelium, but their axons typically converge onto a pair of glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (9).Here we report that disruption of the olfactory signal transduction cascade completely eliminates mechanical responses in OSNs. OSNs expressing different receptor types display differential responses to mechanical stimuli. For instance, I7, M71, and SR1 neurons have much stronger mechanical responses than MOR23 and mOR-EG neurons. Loss-of-function mutation of the I7 receptor, genetic switch of the M71 receptor, or ablation of the SR1 receptor, abolishes or dramatically reduces mechanical responses in the host OSNs. Furthermore, ectopic expression of the I7 receptor restores mechanosensitivity in loss-of-function mutant I7 cells. Finally, heterologous expression of SR1 confers mechanosensitivity to its host cells. Our findings suggest that G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) may have an overlooked function as mechanosensors in neurons and add to the growing list of polymodal transmembrane receptors in sensory organs.     

游离脂肪酸受体在肺部疾病中的研究进展

游离脂肪酸受体(FFAR)是一类具有多功能性的G蛋白偶联受体,参与细胞内信号传导,调节细胞凋亡、炎症反应、免疫反应和能量代谢等生物学过程。近年来,国内外多项研究发现,FFAR在肺部疾病中发挥着重要作用,有望成为防治呼吸系统疾病的潜在研究靶点。本文对FFAR在哮喘、肺部感染、急性肺损伤、慢性阻塞性肺疾病、特发性肺纤维化等疾病发展中的作用及机制作一综述,以期为呼吸系统疾病的防控、干预提供新的方向。     

Molecular mechanism for the umami taste synergism

Umami is one of the 5 basic taste qualities. The umami taste of L-glutamate can be drastically enhanced by 5′ ribonucleotides and the synergy is a hallmark of this taste quality. The umami taste receptor is a heteromeric complex of 2 class C G-protein-coupled receptors, T1R1 and T1R3. Here we elucidate the molecular mechanism of the synergy using chimeric T1R receptors, site-directed mutagenesis, and molecular modeling. We propose a cooperative ligand-binding model involving the Venus flytrap domain of T1R1, where L-glutamate binds close to the hinge region, and 5′ ribonucleotides bind to an adjacent site close to the opening of the flytrap to further stabilize the closed conformation. This unique mechanism may apply to other class C G-protein-coupled receptors.     

Heterodimerization of V1a and V2 vasopressin receptors determines the interaction with beta-arrestin and their trafficking patterns

V1a vasopressin receptor (V1aR) and V2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) present distinct mechanisms of agonist-promoted trafficking. Although both receptors are endocytosed by way of beta-arrestin-dependent processes, beta-arrestin dissociates rapidly from V1aR, allowing its rapid recycling to the plasma membrane while beta-arrestin remains associated with V2R in the endosomes, leading to their intracellular accumulation. Here, we demonstrate that, when coexpressed, the two receptors can be endocytosed as stable heterodimers. On activation with a nonselective agonist, both receptors cotrafficked with beta-arrestin in endosomes where the stable interaction inhibited the recycling of V1aR to the plasma membrane, thus conferring a V2R-like endocytotic/recycling pattern to the V1aR/V2R heterodimer. Coexpression of the constitutively internalized R137HV2R mutant with V1aR was sufficient to promote cointernalization of V1aR in beta-arrestin-positive vesicles even in the absence of agonist stimulation. This finding indicates that internalization of the heterodimer does not require activation of each of the protomers. Consistent with this notion, a V1aR-selective agonist led to the coendocytosis of V2R. In that case, however, the V1aR/V2R heterodimer was not stably associated with beta-arrestin, and both receptors were recycled back to the cell surface, indicating that the complex followed the V1aR endocytotic/recycling path. Taken together, these results suggest that heterodimerization regulates the endocytotic processing of G protein-coupled receptors and that the identity of the activated protomer within the heterodimer determines the fate of the internalized receptors.     

以游离脂肪酸为结合配体的GPCRs的研究进展

食物营养成分在肠道中可被分解产生游离脂肪酸.游离脂肪酸除了被吸收氧化分解产生能量供机体利用外,还能通过结合脂肪酸受体激活信号通路,参与多种生理功能的调节,如维持能量平衡、代谢稳态、调节脂质形成与分解、影响机体免疫、结识流动消化成分间接监测菌群数量等.被确认的游离脂肪酸受体包括结合长链脂肪酸的G蛋白偶联受体(GPR)12...     

Intramolecular allosteric communication in dopamine D2 receptor revealed by evolutionary amino acid covariation

The structural basis of allosteric signaling in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is important in guiding design of therapeutics and understanding phenotypic consequences of genetic variation. The Evolutionary Trace (ET) algorithm previously proved effective in redesigning receptors to mimic the ligand specificities of functionally distinct homologs. We now expand ET to consider mutual information, with validation in GPCR structure and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) function. The new algorithm, called ET-MIp, identifies evolutionarily relevant patterns of amino acid covariations. The improved predictions of structural proximity and D2R mutagenesis demonstrate that ET-MIp predicts functional interactions between residue pairs, particularly potency and efficacy of activation by dopamine. Remarkably, although most of the residue pairs chosen for mutagenesis are neither in the binding pocket nor in contact with each other, many exhibited functional interactions, implying at-a-distance coupling. The functional interaction between the coupled pairs correlated best with the evolutionary coupling potential derived from dopamine receptor sequences rather than with broader sets of GPCR sequences. These data suggest that the allosteric communication responsible for dopamine responses is resolved by ET-MIp and best discerned within a short evolutionary distance. Most double mutants restored dopamine response to wild-type levels, also suggesting that tight regulation of the response to dopamine drove the coevolution and intramolecular communications between coupled residues. Our approach provides a general tool to identify evolutionary covariation patterns in small sets of close sequence homologs and to translate them into functional linkages between residues.Identifying residues that coevolved to maintain or acquire fitness properties is critical for understanding protein structure, function, and evolution (1). Previous studies have shown that covarying residue pairs, those that exhibit correlated amino acid changes in large multiple sequence alignments, tend to form structural contacts (2–7), enhancing predictions of protein 3D structures (8–11). Covariation can also involve distal residues, but the function of these at-a-distance couplings is elusive and has been attributed to background noise, alternative protein conformations, or subunit interactions of protein homooligomers (5, 7, 12). Alternately, distal covarying residue pairs could indicate allosteric couplings (6, 13–18).The possibility of capturing intramolecular allosteric communication by amino acid covariation analysis of protein family sequences has not been extensively explored. Nonproximal thermodynamic coupling between correlated residue pairs was noted in 274 PDZ domains (14), but the relationship to allostery is still debated (19, 20). It may be that distinctive allosteric mechanisms, even among close homologs, limit the extraction of allosteric couplings from sequences (13). Our previous identification of residues important for allosteric signaling within G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) using Evolutionary Trace (ET) (21–24) and strong conservation of some of the residues implicated led us to ask whether ET could also uncover couplings among protein sequence positions not in direct contact.ET estimates the relative functional sensitivity of a protein to variations at each residue position using phylogenetic distances to account for the functional divergence among sequence homologs (25, 26). Similar ideas can be applied to pairs of sequence positions to recompute ET as the average importance of the couplings between a residue and its direct structural neighbors (27). To measure the evolutionary coupling information between residue pairs, we present a new algorithm, ET-MIp, that integrates the mutual information metric (MIp) (5) to the ET framework. We used dopamine D2 receptor (D2R), a target of drugs for neurological and psychiatric diseases (28), to test whether ET-MIp could elucidate the allosteric functional communications from amino acid covariation patterns and resolve the evolutionary distance at which the allosteric pathways of D2R homologs are sufficiently conserved to detect residue−residue coupling signatures. D2R is expressed in the central nervous system and responds to dopamine, the major catecholamine neurotransmitter. Canonical D2R signaling is effected by G_i/o class G proteins, which regulate ion channels (29, 30), MAPK kinases (31), phospholipase C (32), and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase (33). D1 class receptors (D1R and D5R) have lower affinities for dopamine (34–36) and activate adenylyl cyclase through G_s class G proteins. To characterize allosteric communication between covarying pairs of residues ranked as important by ET (ET residue pairs), we examined functional coupling for ligand binding affinities and downstream G_i activation induced by agonist-stimulated D2R.     

β-arrestin- but not G protein-mediated signaling by the “decoy” receptor CXCR7

Ubiquitously expressed seven-transmembrane receptors (7TMRs) classically signal through heterotrimeric G proteins and are commonly referred to as G protein-coupled receptors. It is now recognized that 7TMRs also signal through β-arrestins, which act as versatile adapters controlling receptor signaling, desensitization, and trafficking. Most endogenous receptors appear to signal in a balanced fashion using both β-arrestin and G protein-mediated pathways. Some 7TMRs are thought to be nonsignaling “decoys” because of their inability to activate typical G protein signaling pathways; it has been proposed that these receptors act to scavenge ligands or function as coreceptors. Here we demonstrate that ligand binding to the decoy receptor CXCR7 does not result in activation of signaling pathways typical of G proteins but does activate MAP kinases through β-arrestins in transiently transfected cells. Furthermore, we observe that vascular smooth muscle cells that endogenously express CXCR7 migrate to its ligand interferon-inducible T-cell alpha chemoattractant (ITAC), an effect that is significantly attenuated by treatment with either a CXCR7 antagonist or β-arrestin depletion by siRNA. This example of an endogenous “β-arrestin-biased” 7TMR that signals through β-arrestin in the absence of G protein activation demonstrates that some 7TMRs encoded in the genome have evolved to signal through β-arrestin exclusively and suggests that other receptors that are currently thought to be orphans or decoys may also signal through such nonclassical pathways.     

Regulation of Golgi structure and secretion by receptor-induced G protein βγ complex translocation

We show that receptor induced G protein βγ subunit translocation from the plasma membrane to the Golgi allows a receptor to initiate fragmentation and regulate secretion. A lung epithelial cell line, A549, was shown to contain an endogenous translocating G protein γ subunit and exhibit receptor-induced Golgi fragmentation. Receptor-induced Golgi fragmentation was inhibited by a shRNA specific to the endogenous translocating γ subunit. A kinase defective protein kinase D and a phospholipase C β inhibitor blocked receptor-induced Golgi fragmentation, suggesting a role for this process in secretion. Consistent with βγ translocation dependence, fragmentation induced by receptor activation was inhibited by a dominant negative nontranslocating γ3. Insulin secretion was shown to be induced by muscarinic receptor activation in a pancreatic β cell line, NIT-1. Induction of insulin secretion was also inhibited by the dominant negative γ3 subunit consistent with the Golgi fragmentation induced by βγ complex translocation playing a role in secretion.     

Molecular mechanisms that control initiation and termination of physiological depolarization-evoked transmitter release

Ca(2+) is essential for physiological depolarization-evoked synchronous neurotransmitter release. But, whether Ca(2+) influx or another factor controls release initiation is still under debate. The time course of ACh release is controlled by a presynaptic inhibitory G protein-coupled autoreceptor (GPCR), whose agonist-binding affinity is voltage-sensitive. However, the relevance of this property for release control is not known. To resolve this question, we used pertussis toxin (PTX), which uncouples GPCR from its G(i/o) and in turn reduces the affinity of GPCR toward its agonist. We show that PTX enhances ACh and glutamate release (in mice and crayfish, respectively) and, most importantly, alters the time course of release without affecting Ca(2+) currents. These effects are not mediated by G(beta)gamma because its microinjection into the presynaptic terminal did not alter the time course of release. Also, PTX reduces the association of the GPCR with the exocytotic machinery, and this association is restored by the addition of agonist. We offer the following mechanism for control of initiation and termination of physiological depolarization-evoked transmitter release. At rest, release is under tonic block achieved by the transmitter-bound high-affinity presynaptic GPCR interacting with the exocytotic machinery. Upon depolarization, the GPCR uncouples from its G protein and consequently shifts to a low-affinity state toward the transmitter. The transmitter dissociates, the unbound GPCR detaches from the exocytotic machinery, and the tonic block is alleviated. The free machinery, together with Ca(2+) that had already entered, initiates release. Release terminates when the reverse occurs upon repolarization.     

心血管活性肽Apelin生物学功能研究进展

G蛋白偶联受体是指一大类与G蛋白偶联并参与和介导细胞外信号传递的跨膜蛋白,信号传导过程中与受体偶联的物质称为配体,对于不清楚内源性配体物质的G蛋白偶联受体称为孤儿G蛋白偶联受体。血管紧张素受体样受体是一种孤儿G蛋白偶联受体。其内源性配体Apelin新近从牛胃抽提液中被分离出来,现发现apelin的功能涉及心血管系统,中枢神经系统,免疫系统等。Apelin在血管紧张素Ⅰ转化酶的同源酶血管紧张素Ⅰ转化酶2的作用下有活性形式转变成无活性的形式。现对apelin在心血管系统以及以其它众多生物学功能研究进展作一综述。     

Involvement of estradiol-17β and its membrane receptor, G protein coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) in regulation of oocyte maturation in zebrafish, Danio rario

The orphan G protein coupled receptor, GPR30, has the characteristics of a high affinity, specific estrogen membrane receptor on Atlantic croaker oocytes and mediates estrogen inhibition of oocyte maturation in this perciform fish. In order to determine the broad applicability of these findings to other teleosts, similar experiments were conducted in a cyprinid fish, zebrafish, in the present study. GPR30 mRNA expression was detected in zebrafish oocytes but not in the ovarian follicular cells. Both spontaneous and 17, 20β-dihyroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP)-induced maturation of follicle-enclosed zebrafish oocytes was significantly decreased when they were incubated with either estradiol-17β, or the GPR30 agonists, ICI 182 780 and tamoxifen, or with the GPR30 specific agonist G-1. On the other hand spontaneous oocyte maturation increased two-fold when zebrafish ovarian follicles were incubated with an aromatase inhibitor, ATD. Moreover, the stimulatory effects of ATD on germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) were partially reversed by co-treatment with 100 nM of E2 or G-1. These results suggest that endogenous estrogens acting through GPR30 are involved in maintaining meiotic arrest of zebrafish oocytes.     

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor dimerization differentially regulates agonist signaling but does not affect small molecule allostery

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is a family B G protein-coupled receptor and an important drug target for the treatment of type II diabetes, with activation of pancreatic GLP-1Rs eliciting glucose-dependent insulin secretion. Currently, approved therapeutics acting at this receptor are peptide based, and there is substantial interest in small molecule modulators for the GLP-1R. Using a variety of resonance energy transfer techniques, we demonstrate that the GLP-1R forms homodimers and that transmembrane helix 4 (TM4) provides the primary dimerization interface. We show that disruption of dimerization using a TM4 peptide, a minigene construct encoding TM4, or by mutation of TM4, eliminates G protein-dependent high-affinity binding to GLP-1(7-36)NH₂ but has selective effects on receptor signaling. There was <10-fold decrease in potency in cAMP accumulation or ERK1/2 phosphorylation assays but marked loss of intracellular calcium mobilization by peptide agonists. In contrast, there was near-complete abrogation of the cAMP response to an allosteric agonist, compound 2, but preservation of ERK phosphorylation. Collectively, this indicates that GLP-1R dimerization is important for control of signal bias. Furthermore, we reveal that two small molecule ligands are unaltered in their ability to allosterically modulate signaling from peptide ligands, demonstrating that these modulators act in cis within a single receptor protomer, and this has important implications for small molecule drug design.     

Detection and avoidance of a carnivore odor by prey

Predator-prey relationships provide a classic paradigm for the study of innate animal behavior. Odors from carnivores elicit stereotyped fear and avoidance responses in rodents, although sensory mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we identified a chemical produced by predators that activates a mouse olfactory receptor and produces an innate behavioral response. We purified this predator cue from bobcat urine and identified it to be a biogenic amine, 2-phenylethylamine. Quantitative HPLC analysis across 38 mammalian species indicates enriched 2-phenylethylamine production by numerous carnivores, with some producing >3,000-fold more than herbivores examined. Calcium imaging of neuronal responses in mouse olfactory tissue slices identified dispersed carnivore odor-selective sensory neurons that also responded to 2-phenylethylamine. Two prey species, rat and mouse, avoid a 2-phenylethylamine odor source, and loss-of-function studies involving enzymatic depletion of 2-phenylethylamine from a carnivore odor indicate it to be required for full avoidance behavior. Thus, rodent olfactory sensory neurons and chemosensory receptors have the capacity for recognizing interspecies odors. One such cue, carnivore-derived 2-phenylethylamine, is a key component of a predator odor blend that triggers hard-wired aversion circuits in the rodent brain. These data show how a single, volatile chemical detected in the environment can drive an elaborate danger-associated behavioral response in mammals.