TAAR6 explained

Trace amine associated receptor 6, also known as TAAR6, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the TAAR6 gene.^{[1] [2]}

Function

TAAR6 belongs to the trace amine-associated receptor family. Trace amines are endogenous amine compounds that are chemically similar to classic biogenic amines like dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and histamine. Trace amines were thought to be 'false transmitters' that displace classic biogenic amines from their storage and act on transporters in a fashion similar to the amphetamines, but the identification of brain receptors specific to trace amines indicates that they also have effects of their own.^{[3] [4]} RNA expression analysis shows hTAAR6 is expressed in the hippocampus, where murine TAAR receptors have been shown to be involved with neurogenesis.^[5]

Computational modeling suggests TAAR6 can bind to the foul smelling compounds produced by rotting flesh, putrescine and cadaverine.^[6] TAAR6 mutant mice have differences in behavior compared with wild-type mice.^[7] Also, they have elevated brain serotonin levels in several brain regions and enhanced hypothermic response to 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT.^[8]

Further reading

• Cao Q, Martinez M, Zhang J, Sanders AR, Badner JA, Cravchik A, Markey CJ, Beshah E, Guroff JJ, Maxwell ME, Kazuba DM, Whiten R, Goldin LR, Gershon ES, Gejman PV . 6 . Suggestive evidence for a schizophrenia susceptibility locus on chromosome 6q and a confirmation in an independent series of pedigrees . Genomics . 43 . 1 . 1–8 . July 1997 . 9226366 . 10.1006/geno.1997.4815 .
• Kaufmann CA, Suarez B, Malaspina D, Pepple J, Svrakic D, Markel PD, Meyer J, Zambuto CT, Schmitt K, Matise TC, Harkavy Friedman JM, Hampe C, Lee H, Shore D, Wynne D, Faraone SV, Tsuang MT, Cloninger CR . 6 . NIMH Genetics Initiative Millennium Schizophrenia Consortium: linkage analysis of African-American pedigrees . American Journal of Medical Genetics . 81 . 4 . 282–9 . July 1998 . 9674972 . 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8628(19980710)81:4<282::AID-AJMG2>3.0.CO;2-W .
• Borowsky B, Adham N, Jones KA, Raddatz R, Artymyshyn R, Ogozalek KL, Durkin MM, Lakhlani PP, Bonini JA, Pathirana S, Boyle N, Pu X, Kouranova E, Lichtblau H, Ochoa FY, Branchek TA, Gerald C . 6 . Trace amines: identification of a family of mammalian G protein-coupled receptors . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 98 . 16 . 8966–71 . July 2001 . 11459929 . 55357 . 10.1073/pnas.151105198 . free .
• Duan J, Martinez M, Sanders AR, Hou C, Saitou N, Kitano T, Mowry BJ, Crowe RR, Silverman JM, Levinson DF, Gejman PV . 6 . Polymorphisms in the trace amine receptor 4 (TRAR4) gene on chromosome 6q23.2 are associated with susceptibility to schizophrenia . American Journal of Human Genetics . 75 . 4 . 624–38 . October 2004 . 15329799 . 1182049 . 10.1086/424887 .
• Lindemann L, Ebeling M, Kratochwil NA, Bunzow JR, Grandy DK, Hoener MC . Trace amine-associated receptors form structurally and functionally distinct subfamilies of novel G protein-coupled receptors . Genomics . 85 . 3 . 372–85 . March 2005 . 15718104 . 10.1016/j.ygeno.2004.11.010 .
• Amann D, Avidan N, Kanyas K, Kohn Y, Hamdan A, Ben-Asher E, Macciardi F, Beckmann JS, Lancet D, Lerer B . 6 . The trace amine receptor 4 gene is not associated with schizophrenia in a sample linked to chromosome 6q23 . Molecular Psychiatry . 11 . 2 . 119–21 . February 2006 . 16189505 . 10.1038/sj.mp.4001752 . 43731573 . free .

Notes and References

1. Borowsky B, Adham N, Jones KA, Raddatz R, Artymyshyn R, Ogozalek KL, Durkin MM, Lakhlani PP, Bonini JA, Pathirana S, Boyle N, Pu X, Kouranova E, Lichtblau H, Ochoa FY, Branchek TA, Gerald C . 6 . Trace amines: identification of a family of mammalian G protein-coupled receptors . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 98 . 16 . 8966–71 . July 2001 . 11459929 . 55357 . 10.1073/pnas.151105198 . free .
2. Lindemann L, Ebeling M, Kratochwil NA, Bunzow JR, Grandy DK, Hoener MC . Trace amine-associated receptors form structurally and functionally distinct subfamilies of novel G protein-coupled receptors . Genomics . 85 . 3 . 372–85 . March 2005 . 15718104 . 10.1016/j.ygeno.2004.11.010 .
3. Duan J, Martinez M, Sanders AR, Hou C, Saitou N, Kitano T, Mowry BJ, Crowe RR, Silverman JM, Levinson DF, Gejman PV . 6 . Polymorphisms in the trace amine receptor 4 (TRAR4) gene on chromosome 6q23.2 are associated with susceptibility to schizophrenia . American Journal of Human Genetics . 75 . 4 . 624–38 . October 2004 . 15329799 . 1182049 . 10.1086/424887 .
4. Web site: Entrez Gene: TAAR6 trace amine associated receptor 6.
5. Katolikova NV, Vaganova AN, Efimova EV, Gainetdinov RR . Expression of Trace Amine-Associated Receptors in the Murine and Human Hippocampus Based on Public Transcriptomic Data . Cells . 11 . 11 . June 2022 . 1813 . 35681508 . 9180029 . 10.3390/cells11111813 . free .
6. Izquierdo C, Gómez-Tamayo JC, Nebel JC, Pardo L, Gonzalez A . Identifying human diamine sensors for death related putrescine and cadaverine molecules . PLOS Computational Biology . 14 . 1 . e1005945 . January 2018 . 29324768 . 5783396 . 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005945 . 2018PLSCB..14E5945I . free .
7. Kuvarzin S, Leonova E, Efimova E, Gainetdinov R . Identifying the function of trace amine-associated receptor 6 and its role in behavior, physiology and brain neurochemistry. . European Neuropsychopharmacology . December 2019 . 29 . S93 . Elsevier . 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.09.164 . 209352329 .
8. Kuvarzin S, Efimova E, Gainetdinov R . TAAR6 mutant mice have changes in the brain serotonin levels and enhanced hypothermic response to serotonin 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT . European Neuropsychopharmacology . December 2021 . 53 . S212–S213 . Elsevier . 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.10.279 . 245564698 .