OR6A2

OR6A2
Identifiers
AliasesOR6A2, I7, OR11-55, OR6A1, OR6A2P, olfactory receptor family 6 subfamily A member 2
External IDsOMIM: 608495; MGI: 97432; GeneCards: OR6A2
Orthologs
DatabasesNCBI: entry; OMA: entry
SpeciesHumanMouse
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 MbChr 7: 106.59 – 106.61 Mb
PubMed search
Wikidata
View/Edit HumanView/Edit Mouse

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

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.

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 leaf (also known as cilantro) while others are extremely repulsed by it. Depending on ancestry, between 3% and 21% of the Canadian population report disliking coriander: 21% for East Asians, 17% for Europeans, 14% for those of African descent, 7% for South Asians, 4% for Hispanics, and 3% for Middle Eastern subjects. However, these figures do not represent the prevalence of the OR6A2 gene.

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 certain aldehydes, such as decanal, (E)-2-decenal and (E)-2-dodecenal. These substances may be present in soap and various detergents as well as coriander, and also form part of the secretions of several species of stinkbugs, including Halyomorpha halys.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000184933 – Ensembl, May 2017
  2. 1 2 3 GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000070417 – Ensembl, May 2017
  3. ↑ "Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  4. ↑ "Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  5. 1 2 "Entrez Gene: OR6A2 olfactory receptor, family 6, subfamily A, member 2".
  6. 1 2 Eriksson N, Wu S, Chuong BD, Kiefer AK, Tuing JY, Mountain JL, et al. (29 November 2012). "A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference". Flavour. 1 22. arXiv:1209.2096. doi:10.1186/2044-7248-1-22. S2CID 199627.
  7. ↑ Mauer L, El-Sohemy A (2012-05-02). "Prevalence of cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) disliking among different ethnocultural groups". Flavour. 1 (1) 8. doi:10.1186/2044-7248-1-8. hdl:1807/86813. ISSN 2044-7248.
  8. ↑ Callaway E (September 2012). "Soapy taste of coriander linked to genetic variants". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2012.11398. S2CID 87980895.
  9. ↑ Zhong YZ, Zhang JP, Ren LL, Tang R, Zhan HX, Chen GH, et al. (September 2017). "Behavioral responses of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus to volatiles from adults of its stink bug host, Halyomorpha halys". Journal of Pest Science. 90 (4): 1097–1105. doi:10.1007/s10340-017-0884-6.

Further reading

This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.