Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

A putative pheromone receptor gene expressed in human olfactory mucosa

Abstract

Pheromones elicit specific behavioural responses and physiological alterations in recipients of the same species1. In mammals, these chemical signals are recognized within the nasal cavity by sensory neurons that express pheromone receptors. In rodents, these receptors are thought to be represented by two large multigene families, comprising the V1r and V2r genes, which encode seven-transmembrane proteins2,3,4,5. Although pheromonal effects have been demonstrated in humans6, V1R or V2R counterparts of the rodent genes have yet to be characterized.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Human V1RL1.
Figure 2: Expression of V1RL1 mRNA in human tissues. Top, internal control.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Karlson, P. & Lüscher, M. Nature 183, 55–56 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dulac, C. & Axel, R. Cell 83, 195 –206 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Herrada, G. & Dulac, C. Cell 90, 763 –773 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Matsunami, H. & Buck, L.B. Cell 90, 775 –784 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ryba, N.J. & Tirindelli, R. Neuron 19, 371–379 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Stern, K. & McClintock, M.K. Nature 392, 177–179 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Saito, H., Mimmack, M.L., Keverne, E.B., Kishimoto, J. & Emson, P.C. Mol. Brain Res. 60, 215–227 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mombaerts, P. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 9, 315–320 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Rodriguez, I., Feinstein, P. & Mombaerts, P. Cell 97, 199– 208 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Keverne, E.B. Science 286, 716–720 ( 1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Humphrey, T. J. Comp. Neurol. 73, 431–468 (1940).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Stensaas, L.J., Lavker, R.M., Monti-Bloch, L., Grosser, B.I. & Berliner, D.L. J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 39, 553–560 ( 1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Johnston, R.E. in Olfaction and Taste XII. An International Symposium (ed. Murphy, C.) 333–348 (New York Academy of Sciences, New York, 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hudson, R. & Distel, H. Physiol. Behav. 37, 123–128 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Dorries, K.M., Adkins-Regan, E. & Halpern, B.P. Brain Behav. Evol. 49, 53– 62 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank J. Yee for technical assistance; D. Ross for assistance in obtaining biopsies of human olfactory mucosa; and T. Bozza, P. Feinstein, L. Stryer, T. Perry and P. Vassalli for critical review. I.R. was supported by postdoctoral fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the European Molecular Biology Organization, and the Human Frontier Science Program. Grant support to C.A.G. and P.M. was from the National Institutes of Health, and to P.M. from the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and Senomyx.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Mombaerts.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rodriguez, I., Greer, C., Mok, M. et al. A putative pheromone receptor gene expressed in human olfactory mucosa . Nat Genet 26, 18–19 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/79124

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/79124

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing