MOLECULAR NEUROGENETICS OF PHEROMONE PERCEPTION

哺乳动物的嗅觉是由两种解剖学和 功能不同的感觉器官：主要的嗅觉上皮 (MOE)和犁鼻器(VNO)。而能源部负责协调检测 在各种各样的气味中，VNO负责识别 信息素。这些是提供信息的化学信号 关于性别、支配地位或生殖状况。最近的孤立 一个编码信息素受体的基因家族提供了一个基础 研究信息素感知的分子生物学。到目前为止， 然而，没有证据表明这些蛋白质是信息素 感受器。在这里，为这些基因的假设寻找基因证据 基因编码与信息素感知有关的分子。申请人 将试图鉴定出一个差异很大的VNO受体基因 在男性或女性中表达，导致基因敲除突变 基因，并评估基因敲除小鼠的表型。申请人 将确定VNO受体基因簇的末端，删除 通过染色体工程技术对整个基因家族进行研究，并对 突变小鼠的表型。

Olfactory perception is mediated in mammals by two anatomically and functionally distinct sensory organs: the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and the vomeronasal organ (VNO). While the MOE mediates detection of a wide variety of odorants, the VNO is responsible for recognition of pheromones. These are chemical signals that provide information about gender, dominance, or reproductive status. The recent isolation of a gene family encoding putative pheromone receptors provides a basis to study the molecular biology of pheromone perception. To date, however, there is no evidence that these proteins are pheromone receptors. Here, genetic proof is sought for the hypothesis that these genes encode molecules involved in pheromone perception. The applicant will attempt to identify a VNO receptor gene that is differentially expressed in the male or female, introduce a knock-out mutation in that gene, and assess the phenotype of the knock-out mice. The applicant will determine the ends of the cluster of VNO receptor genes, delete the whole gene family by chromosome engineering techniques, and assess the phenotype of the mutant mice.