Characterizing novel olfactory receptors expressed in the murine renal cortex.

The kidney uses specialized G protein-coupled receptors, including olfactory receptors (ORs), to act as sensors of molecules and metabolites. In the present study, we cloned and studied seven renal ORs, which we previously found to be expressed in the murine renal cortex. As most ORs are orphan receptors, our goal was to identify ligands for these ORs in the hope that this will guide future research into their functional roles.