Receptor Transporter Protein 3 (RTP3)

Transport of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to the cell surface membrane is critical for receptor-ligand recognition. However, mammalian GPCR odorant receptors (ORs), when heterologously expressed in cells, are poorly expressed on the cell surface.The cDNA was 817 bp long with an open reading frame (ORF) of 696 bp encoding a deduced 232-amino acid protein, with a predicted molecular mass of 27 kD. The TMEM7 protein was predicted to contain a single transmembrane domain near the C terminus and an endoplasmic reticulum membrane retention signal, located in the immediate vicinity of the C-terminal end.In situ hybridization of mouse olfactory epithelium revealed that, unlike the other Rtps, Rtp3 was not expressed in olfactory neurons.