Molecular genetics of mammalian olfaction

Olfaction plays a crucial role in the survival of most animal species; it is remarkable in its ability to recognize and discriminate numerous airborne molecules, yet is one of the least understood senses. The advent of molecular genetic approaches has greatly contributed to disclosing some of the mysteries in olfaction. The identification of olfactory-specific proteins, the discovery of the large receptor gene family, and the first insight into the mechanisms governing chemosensory gene expression hold great promise for an eventually detailed understanding of a sensory system that was previously considered as hardly accessible for research at the molecular level.