Origins of the many NPY-family receptors in mammals
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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Imaging Neuronal Responses in Slice Preparations of Vomeronasal Organ Expressing a Genetically Encoded Calcium Sensor
Published on: December 6, 2011
D Larhammar1, A Wraith, M M Berglund
1Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Box 593, S-75124, Uppsala, Sweden. Dan.Larhammar@neuro.uu.se
Abstract:
The NPY system has a multitude of effects and is particularly well known for its role in appetite regulation. We have found that the five presently known receptors in mammals arose very early in vertebrate evolution before the appearance of jawed vertebrates 400 million years ago. The genes Y(1), Y(2) and Y(5) arose by local duplications and are still present on the same chromosome in human and pig. Duplications of this chromosome led to the Y(1)-like genes Y(4) and y(6). We find evidence for two occasions where receptor subtypes probably arose before peptide genes were duplicated. These observations pertain to the discussion whether ligands or receptors tend to appear first in evolution. The roles of Y(1) and Y(5) in feeding may differ between species demonstrating the importance of performing functional studies in additional mammals to mouse and rat.
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