Editor's Summary
10 August 2006
Make scents of pheromones
A second set of olfactory receptors has been discovered in the in the mouse nose, including some that may detect pheromones and might therefore be involved in mating. Genes for these receptors are also found in fish and humans, raising the prospect that a human pheromone receptor may soon be found. The newly discovered trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are found on the surface of unique subsets of cells in the nasal lining, and are distinct from the range of receptor molecules that sense odours. At least three different TAARs recognize separate compounds found in mouse urine, which suggests that they may have a role in detecting subtle chemical messages between individuals.
News and Views: Neuroscience: An extra dimension to olfaction
The sense of smell is triggered by receptors in the olfactory epithelium that lines the nose. In mice at least, that lining is also responsible for receiving chemosensory cues involved in mating and other social behaviours.
John Ngai
doi:10.1038/nature05001
Article: A second class of chemosensory receptors in the olfactory epithelium
Stephen D. Liberles & Linda B. Buck
doi:10.1038/nature05066
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (970K) | Supplementary information
