OR3A1 explained

Olfactory receptor 3A1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the OR3A1 gene.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Olfactory receptors interact with odorant molecules in the nose, to initiate a neuronal response that triggers the perception of a smell. The olfactory receptor proteins are members of a large family of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) arising from single coding-exon genes. Olfactory receptors share a 7-transmembrane domain structure with many neurotransmitter and hormone receptors and are responsible for the recognition and G protein-mediated transduction of odorant signals. The olfactory receptor gene family is the largest in the genome. The nomenclature assigned to the olfactory receptor genes and proteins for this organism is independent of other organisms.

Ligands

OR3A1 is activated by helional and the closely related molecule heliotropylacetone.^[4] Other compounds including piperonal, safrole, and vanillin completely failed to activate OR3A1.

Agonists:

• helional^[4]
• heliotropylacetone^[4]
• lilial^[5]
• cyclamen aldehyde^[5]
• foliaver (3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylpropanal)^[5]

See also

• Olfactory receptor

Further reading

• Marrakchi M, Vidic J, Jaffrezic-Renault N, Martelet C, Pajot-Augy E . A new concept of olfactory biosensor based on interdigitated microelectrodes and immobilized yeasts expressing the human receptor OR17-40 . European Biophysics Journal . 36 . 8 . 1015–8 . November 2007 . 17579849 . 10.1007/s00249-007-0187-6 . 11099976 .
• Jacquier V, Prummer M, Segura JM, Pick H, Vogel H . Visualizing odorant receptor trafficking in living cells down to the single-molecule level . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 103 . 39 . 14325–30 . September 2006 . 16980412 . 1599963 . 10.1073/pnas.0603942103 . 2006PNAS..10314325J . free .
• Malnic B, Godfrey PA, Buck LB . The human olfactory receptor gene family . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 101 . 8 . 2584–9 . February 2004 . 14983052 . 356993 . 10.1073/pnas.0307882100 . 2004PNAS..101.2584M . free .
• Glusman G, Sosinsky A, Ben-Asher E, Avidan N, Sonkin D, Bahar A, Rosenthal A, Clifton S, Roe B, Ferraz C, Demaille J, Lancet D . 6 . Sequence, structure, and evolution of a complete human olfactory receptor gene cluster . Genomics . 63 . 2 . 227–45 . January 2000 . 10673334 . 10.1006/geno.1999.6030 . 23416814 .
• Ben-Arie N, Lancet D, Taylor C, Khen M, Walker N, Ledbetter DH, Carrozzo R, Patel K, Sheer D, Lehrach H . 6 . Olfactory receptor gene cluster on human chromosome 17: possible duplication of an ancestral receptor repertoire . Human Molecular Genetics . 3 . 2 . 229–35 . February 1994 . 8004088 . 10.1093/hmg/3.2.229 .

Notes and References

1. Glusman G, Clifton S, Roe B, Lancet D . Sequence analysis in the olfactory receptor gene cluster on human chromosome 17: recombinatorial events affecting receptor diversity . Genomics . 37 . 2 . 147–60 . October 1996 . 8921386 . 10.1006/geno.1996.0536 .
2. Crowe ML, Perry BN, Connerton IF . Olfactory receptor-encoding genes and pseudogenes are expressed in humans . Gene . 169 . 2 . 247–9 . March 1996 . 8647456 . 10.1016/0378-1119(95)00849-7 .
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: OR3A1 olfactory receptor, family 3, subfamily A, member 1.
4. Sanz G, Schlegel C, Pernollet JC, Briand L . Comparison of odorant specificity of two human olfactory receptors from different phylogenetic classes and evidence for antagonism . Chemical Senses . 30 . 1 . 69–80 . January 2005 . 15647465 . 10.1093/chemse/bji002 . free .
5. Jacquier V, Pick H, Vogel H . Characterization of an extended receptive ligand repertoire of the human olfactory receptor OR17-40 comprising structurally related compounds . Journal of Neurochemistry . 97 . 2 . 537–44 . April 2006 . 16539658 . 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03771.x . 22179276 . free .