Invention novelty: The invention is a method and composition to ensure the cell surface expression of olfactory receptors (ORs) in heterologous systems.
Value Proposition: Olfactory receptors are difficult to express in cell systems from which they are not derived. The ORs tend to remain intracellular in such systems, and use of these systems to identify ligands/odorants that interact with them or understand how they function is difficult. The present invention addresses these limitations. It involves the use of a cleavable signal peptide (‘Lucy’) that ensures ORs expressed within the cell, are trafficked to the cell surface and retain their functional ability to bind to target molecules. Other advantages include:
Technical Details
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a method and composition that ensures cell surface expression of Olfactory Receptors in heterologous cellular systems. This involved the creation of a fusion protein consisting of a ‘Lucy’ tag linked to the specific OR. This tag is a signal peptide sequence that ensures transport of the OR out from the intracellular space, and expression on the cell surface where it can bind and detect odorants. The tag is cleaved from the fusion protein prior to expression of the OR on the cell surface. This feature ensures that the functionality of the OR is retained once it reaches the cell surface.
Publication(s)/Associated Cases: US9783585, EP2893020
