A putative pheromone receptor gene expressed in human olfactory mucosa

Pheromones elicit specific behavioural responses and physiological alterations in recipients of the same species1. In mammals, these chemical signals are recognized within the nasal cavity by sensory neurons that express pheromone receptors. In rodents, these receptors are thought to be represented by two large multigene families, comprising the V1r and V2r genes, which encode seven-transmembrane proteins2,3,4,5. Although pheromonal effects have been demonstrated in humans6, V1R or V2R counterparts of the rodent genes have yet to be characterized.