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Distribution of olfactory receptor genes in the human genome

Nature Genetics volume 18, pages 243–250 (1998)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 May 1998

Abstract

We demonstrate that members of the olfactory receptor (OR) gene family are distributed on all but a few human chromosomes. Through FISH analysis, we show that OR sequences reside at more than 25 locations in the human genome. Their distribution is biased for terminal bands. Flow-sorted chromosomes were used to isolate 87 OR sequences derived from 16 chromosomes. Their sequence-relationships are indicative of the inter- and intrachromosomal duplications responsible for OR family expansion. The human genome has accumulated a striking number of dysfunctional copies: 72% of the sequences are pseudogenes. ORF-containing sequences predominate on chromosomes 7,16 and 17.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CRBM, CNRS ERS 155, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, cédex 5, France

    Sylvie Rouquier, Sylvie Taviaux, Véronique Brand-Arpon, Jacques Demaille & Dominique Giorgi

  2. Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Washington, Box 357730, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    Barbara J. Trask & Ger van den Engh

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  1. Sylvie Rouquier
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  2. Sylvie Taviaux
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  3. Barbara J. Trask
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  4. Véronique Brand-Arpon
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  5. Ger van den Engh
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  6. Jacques Demaille
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  7. Dominique Giorgi
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Correspondence to Dominique Giorgi.

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Rouquier, S., Taviaux, S., Trask, B. et al. Distribution of olfactory receptor genes in the human genome. Nat Genet 18, 243–250 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0398-243

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