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Updated: Jun 30, 2026
09:11
Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
Published on: October 2, 2017
An olfactory receptor pseudogene whose function emerged in humans: a case study in the evolution of
Peter C Lai1, Gautam Bahl, Maryse Gremigni
1Division of Natural Science, Mathematics, and Computing, Bard College at Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, MA, USA.
Journal of Structural and Functional Genomics
|September 20, 2008
Summary
Human olfactory receptor 17-210, identified as a pseudogene, retains function due to unique structural features. Bioinformatics and modeling reveal novel sequence-structure relationships influencing olfactory receptor evolution.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Human olfactory receptor 17-210 (hOR17-210) is classified as a pseudogene.
- Experimental data indicates functional activity, including odorant binding and cyclic ketone sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the retained functionality of hOR17-210 despite its pseudogene status.
- To elucidate the unique sequence-structure features contributing to its functional activity.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatics: Genome-wide and pair-wise sequence analysis.
- Computational protein modeling and docking.
- Analysis of novel transmembrane domains and structural modifications.
Main Results:
- hOR17-210 exhibits unique structural characteristics, lacking the first two typical transmembrane domains but possessing an additional one.
- Computational models and ligand docking confirm functional activity despite structural deviations.
- Sequence-structure features not previously observed in mammalian olfactory receptors (ORs) are identified.
Conclusions:
- Novel gene rearrangements can lead to sequence and structural diversity in ORs.
- These modifications do not necessarily hinder receptor functionality and impact OR and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) evolution.
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