Olfactory Marker Protein (OMP)

Olfactory marker protein is uniquely associated with the mature olfactory receptor neurons in many vertebrate species from fish to man. The OMP gene structure and protein sequence are highly conserved between mouse, rat and human. Results of the mouse knockout studies show that OMP-null mice are compromised in their ability to respond to odor stimuli, and that OMP represents a novel modulatory component of the odor detection/signal transduction cascade. The maximal response to several odorants was 20% to 40% smaller in the mutant than in controls. In addition, the onset and recovery kinetics following isoamyl acetate stimulation were prolonged in the null mice. Furthermore, the ability of the mutants to respond to the second odor pulse of a pair was impaired, over a range of concentrations.