OR5B3

OR5B3 is a gene that encodes the olfactory receptor 5B3 in humans. The olfactory receptor family is the largest in the genome. The olfactory receptors (ORs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that play a role in the detection of odor molecules.

Function

The OR5B3 gene is a member of the olfactory receptor family of genes that are the largest in the genome. The family includes approximately 800 genes that encode olfactory receptors. These receptors are located in the olfactory epithelium in the nose.

The olfactory receptors are responsible for the detection of odor molecules. Each olfactory receptor gene is expressed in a unique small subset of olfactory receptor neurons, out of a total of approximately 3 million such neurons, each of which expresses only a single olfactory receptor gene.

The 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.

Clinical significance

Mutations in the OR5B3 gene can lead to a reduced ability to smell, a condition known as anosmia. This is because the olfactory receptors, including OR5B3, play a crucial role in our ability to sense smells.

See also

• Olfactory receptor
• Anosmia
• G protein-coupled receptor