ISOLATION OF PUTATIVE OLFACTORY RECEPTOR SEQUENCES FROM PIG NASAL EPITHELIUM

Binding to olfactory receptors is the first step in odorant and pherom onal recognition and discrimination. These receptors constitute one of the most important, although poorly known, families of neuronal recep tors. In this study we used degenerated oligonucleotides and a RT-PCR approach to selectively amplify olfactory receptors in the nasal epith elium of the domestic pig Sus scrofa, Several combinations of oligonuc leotide were tested and allowed the isolation of eleven different part ial sequences belonging to the seven transmembrane olfactory receptor family. These receptors formed a separate family within the seven tran smembrane receptor superfamily in pigs. Using the criteria of Ben Arie et al. [Ben-Arie N., Lancet D,, Taylor C., Khen M., Walker N., Ledbet ter DH., Carrozzo R., Patel K., Sheer D., Lehrah H, and North M., Hum. Mel. Genet., 3 (1994) 229-235], the 11 receptors described here can b e classified into three known families and seven subfamilies (one know n and six new). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights rese rved.