OR6A2

Olfactory receptor 6A2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the OR6A2 gene.^[5] It is Class II (tetrapod-specific) olfactory receptor and a rhodopsin-like receptor.

OR6A2
Identifiers
Aliases	OR6A2, I7, OR11-55, OR6A1, OR6A2P, olfactory receptor family 6 subfamily A member 2
External IDs	OMIM: 608495; MGI: 97432; HomoloGene: 2743; GeneCards: OR6A2; OMA:OR6A2 - orthologs
Gene location (Human) Chr. Chromosome 11 (human)[1] Band 11p15.4 Start 6,791,736 bp[1] End 6,799,689 bp[1]
Gene location (Mouse) Chr. Chromosome 7 (mouse)[2] Band 7|7 E3 Start 106,594,606 bp[2] End 106,605,279 bp[2]
RNA expression pattern Bgee Human Mouse (ortholog) Top expressed in testicle Top expressed in Jacobson's organ secondary oocyte yolk sac peripheral nervous system gastrula vastus lateralis muscle subdivision of respiratory system respiratory epithelium nasal epithelium olfactory epithelium More reference expression data BioGPS More reference expression data
Gene ontology Molecular function G protein-coupled receptor activity olfactory receptor activity signal transducer activity Cellular component integral component of membrane plasma membrane membrane Biological process sensory perception of smell signal transduction response to stimulus detection of chemical stimulus involved in sensory perception of smell G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway Sources:Amigo / QuickGO
Orthologs Species Human Mouse Entrez 8590 18317 Ensembl ENSG00000184933 ENSMUSG00000070417 UniProt O95222 n/a RefSeq (mRNA) NM_003696 NM_010983 RefSeq (protein) NP_003687 n/a Location (UCSC) Chr 11: 6.79 – 6.8 Mb Chr 7: 106.59 – 106.61 Mb PubMed search [3] [4]
Wikidata
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Function

Olfactory receptors interact with odorant molecules in the nose, to initiate a neuronal response that triggers the perception of a smell. The olfactory receptor proteins are members of a large family of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) arising from single coding-exon genes. Olfactory receptors share a 7-transmembrane domain structure with many neurotransmitters and hormone receptors and are responsible for the recognition and G protein-mediated transduction of odorant signals.^[5]

Clinical significance

Variation in the OR6A2 gene has been identified as a likely cause of why some people enjoy the smell and taste of coriander (also known as cilantro) while others are extremely repulsed by it.^[6] Depending on ancestry, between 3% and 21% of the population report disliking coriander: 21% for East Asians, 17% for Caucasians, 14% for those of African descent, 7% for South Asians, 4% for Hispanics, and 3% for Middle Eastern subjects. However, these figures don't represent the prevalence of the OR6A2 gene.^[7] Some associate it with an intensely unpleasant taste, including a combination of soap and vomit, or say that it is similar to the foul smelling odor emitted by stinkbugs. This is suggested to be due to the presence of aldehyde chemicals,^[8] which may be present in soap, various detergents, coriander, and several species of stinkbugs.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Olfactory receptor