Topographic patterns of odorant receptor expression in mammals: a comparative study.

In a comparative study, molecular probes for various odorant receptor subtypes were employed in in situ hybridization experiments on tissue sections through the nose from different mammalian species. OR37 reactive neurons were found exclusively in the rodent species, where they were clustered in very similar position within the nasal cavities; an OR37-related receptor subtype was not detectable in the rabbit. All other subtypes tested, hybridized across species borders to neurons that were distributed within the distinct zones of the olfactory epithelium. Most receptor types were found in the same zone in all species; however, a few subtypes which are expressed in the medial zone in rat were found in the dorsal zone in guinea pig.