vomeronasal type-2 pheromone receptors, member of the class C family of seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors
This group represents vomeronasal type-2 pheromone receptors (V2Rs). Members of the V2R family of vomeronasal GPCRs are involved in detecting protein pheromones for social and sexual cues between the same species. V2Rs and G-alpha(o) protein are coexpressed in the basal layer of the vomeronasal organ (VNO), which is the sensory organ of the accessory olfactory system present in amphibians, reptiles, and non-primate mammals such as mice and rodents, but it is non-functional or absent in humans, apes, and monkeys. On the other hand, members of the V1R receptor family and G-alpha(i2) protein are coexpressed in the apical neurons of the VNO. Activation of V1R or V2R causes activation of phospholipase pathway, producing the second messengers diacylglycerol (DAG) and IP3. However, in contrast to V1Rs, V2Rs contain the long N-terminal extracellular domain, which is believed to bind pheromones.
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