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 numerou s airborne molecules, yet is one of the least understood senses. The a dvent of molecular genetic approaches has greatly contributed to discl osing some of the mysteries in olfaction. The identification of olfact ory-specific proteins, the discovery of the large receptor gene family , and the first insight into the mechanisms governing chemosensory gen e expression hold great promise for an eventually detailed understandi ng of a sensory system that was previously considered as hardly access ible for research at the molecular level.