OR6C4

OR6C4 is a gene that in humans encodes the olfactory receptor, family 6, subfamily C, member 4. 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 neurotransmitter and hormone receptors and are responsible for the recognition and G protein-mediated transduction of odorant signals. The olfactory receptor gene family is the largest in the genome. The nomenclature assigned to the olfactory receptor genes and proteins for this organism is independent of other organisms.

Structure

The OR6C4 gene is located on the chromosome 11 (11q11). It spans a length of about 1.1 kb. The gene is composed of 1 exon. The OR6C4 protein encoded by this gene belongs to the family A of GPCRs. This protein is a multi-pass membrane protein, and is located in the cell membrane. It is known to have 312 amino acids, with a molecular weight of approximately 34.5 kDa.

Function

The OR6C4 protein is an olfactory receptor. Olfactory receptors are responsible for the detection of odor molecules in the nose, which results in the sense of smell. To date, there are about 400 functional olfactory receptor genes in the human genome, and OR6C4 is one of them. The specific function of this protein, however, is still unknown.

Clinical Significance

While the specific function of OR6C4 is still unknown, mutations in this gene could potentially affect the sense of smell. Further research is needed to determine the clinical significance of this gene.

See Also

• Olfactory receptor
• G protein-coupled receptor
• Chromosome 11

References

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