Odortypes and MHC peptides: Complementary chemosignals of MHC haplotype?
The olfactory and immune systems must perform optimally in the task of recognizing thousands of molecules to ensure survival. A particularly intriguing link between these systems is that animals can smell differences in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a cluster of highly polymorphic genes found on human chromosome 6 and mouse chromosome 17. Two different sets of compounds found in urine have been postulated to convey information on MHC haplotype: volatile compounds (odortypes) and MHC peptides. Here we argue for complementary roles for these chemosignals.
Restrepo
Diego
D
Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center, Neuroscience Program and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. diego.restrepo@uchsc.edu
Lin
Weihong
W
Salcedo
Ernesto
E
Yamazaki
Kunio
K
Beauchamp
Gary
G
D000818:Animals; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009812:Odorants; D010455:Peptides / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*
D010455:Peptides