The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2004

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2004

 

A large gene family

Axel and Buck searched for genes coding for proteins expressed exclusively in the olfactory epithelium.

Using molecular biology techniques they discovered a large set of genes coding for olfactory receptors. This large gene family is composed of several hundred different genes encoding receptor molecules.

Today we know that these genes represent around three per cent of the total number of genes in mammals.

gene

Contents:

| The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2004 | The olfactory system | A large family of odorant receptors | A large gene family | The organization of odorant receptor inputs in the olfactory cortex | Combinatorial receptor codes | Species differences | Credits |

Nobel Poster from the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, web adapted by Nobel Web

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