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TY - JOUR AU - Keller, Andreas AU - Zhuang, Hanyi AU - Chi, Qiuyi AU - Vosshall, Leslie B. AU - Matsunami, Hiroaki PY - 2007 DA - 2007/09/01 TI - Genetic variation in a human odorant receptor alters odour perception JO - Nature SP - 468 EP - 472 VL - 449 IS - 7161 AB - In humans, there is considerable variation between individuals in both their sensitivity to certain smells and their subjective experience of them. A new study is the first to show that genetic variation in a single human odorant receptor correlates with perceptual variation. OR7D4, an odorant receptor, is selectively activated in vitro by androstenone, a testosterone metabolite thought by some to be a candidate human pheromone. Variations in the gene encoding OR7D4 affected how the subjects thought the androstenone smelt — some found it pleasant, others offensive, to others it was odourless — and also how intense that smell was. SN - 1476-4687 UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06162 DO - 10.1038/nature06162 ID - Keller2007 ER -