OR1A1 explained

Olfactory receptor 1A1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the OR1A1 gene.^{[1] [2]}

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.^[3]

Ligands

OR1A1 is relatively broadly tuned, meaning it responds to a relatively wide variety of different odor molecules.^{[4] [5]} Examples of known ligands, most of which have citrus or fruity smells:^{[6] [7]}

• (S)-(−)-citronellal
• Helional
• Heptanal
• Octanal
• Nonanal (weaker than heptanal/octanal^[6])
• Hydroxycitronellal
• Citral
• Citronellol (both enantiomers, weaker than citronellal^[6])
• Dihydrojasmone^[4]
• Thiols^[5]

See also

• Olfactory receptor

Further reading

• Fuchs T, Malecova B, Linhart C, Sharan R, Khen M, Herwig R, Shmulevich D, Elkon R, Steinfath M, O'Brien JK, Radelof U, Lehrach H, Lancet D, Shamir R . 6 . DEFOG: a practical scheme for deciphering families of genes . Genomics . 80 . 3 . 295–302 . September 2002 . 12213199 . 10.1006/geno.2002.6830 . 10.1.1.135.3652 .
• 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 .

Notes and References

1. 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 .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: OR1A1 olfactory receptor, family 1, subfamily A, member 1.
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: OR1A1 olfactory receptor, family 1, subfamily A, member 1.
4. Saito H, Chi Q, Zhuang H, Matsunami H, Mainland JD . Odor coding by a Mammalian receptor repertoire . Science Signaling . 2 . 60 . ra9 . March 2009 . 19261596 . 2774247 . 10.1126/scisignal.2000016 .
5. Block E, Batista VS, Matsunami H, Zhuang H, Ahmed L . The role of metals in mammalian olfaction of low molecular weight organosulfur compounds . Natural Product Reports . 34 . 5 . 529–557 . May 2017 . 28471462 . 5542778 . 10.1039/c7np00016b .
6. Schmiedeberg K, Shirokova E, Weber HP, Schilling B, Meyerhof W, Krautwurst D . Structural determinants of odorant recognition by the human olfactory receptors OR1A1 and OR1A2 . Journal of Structural Biology . 159 . 3 . 400–12 . September 2007 . 17601748 . 10.1016/j.jsb.2007.04.013 .
7. Audouze K, Tromelin A, Le Bon AM, Belloir C, Petersen RK, Kristiansen K, Brunak S, Taboureau O . 6 . Identification of odorant-receptor interactions by global mapping of the human odorome . PLOS ONE . 9 . 4 . e93037 . 2014 . 24695519 . 3973694 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0093037 . 2014PLoSO...993037A . free .