Characterizing the expression of the human olfactory receptor gene family using a novel DNA microarray.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Olfactory receptor (OR) genes were discovered more than a decade ago, when Buck and Axel observed that, in rats, certain G-protein coupled receptors are expressed exclusively in the olfactory epithelium. Subsequently, protein sequence similarity was used to identify entire OR gene repertoires of a number of mammalian species, but only in mouse were these predictions followed up by expression studies in olfactory epithelium. To rectify this, we have developed a DNA microarray that contains probes for most predicted human OR loci and used that array to examine OR gene expression profiles in olfactory epithelium tissues from three individuals.

Results

We detected expression of 437 (76%) human OR genes in these olfactory epithelia. Interestingly, we detected widesprea

SUBMITTER: Zhang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1929152 | biostudies-literature | 2007

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature