Taar7f, a member of the trace amine-associated receptor (TAAR) family, is involved in odor detection in mice. TAARs are G protein-coupled receptors, distinct from odorant receptors (ORs) in amino acid sequences and most similar to aminergic receptors. They play a crucial role in the olfactory system, contributing to the recognition of specific odorants [1,2].

Two studies have determined the cryo-EM structure of murine mTaar7f coupled to the heterotrimeric G protein Gs and bound to the odorant N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA or DMCH). The odorant is bound in a hydrophobic orthosteric binding site via van der Waals interactions and a charge-charge interaction between its tertiary amine and an aspartic acid residue. The binding site is different from that of propionate in OR51E2. Activation of mTaar7f follows a pathway similar to β-adrenoceptors, with DMCHA directly interacting with a main activation microswitch residue [1,2].

In conclusion, Taar7f is essential for the molecular recognition of specific odorants in the murine olfactory system. Understanding its structure-function relationship, as revealed through structural studies, contributes to our knowledge of olfactory perception mechanisms. Although no gene knockout (KO) or conditional knockout (CKO) mouse models were mentioned in the provided references, the structural insights into Taar7f's interaction with odorants lay the foundation for future in-vivo functional studies, which may potentially uncover its role in more complex biological processes related to olfaction-based behaviors or even potential disease-related olfactory dysfunctions.

References:

1. Gusach, Anastasiia, Lee, Yang, Khoshgrudi, Armin Nikpour, Weyand, Simone N, Tate, Christopher G. 2024. Molecular recognition of an odorant by the murine trace amine-associated receptor TAAR7f. In Nature communications, 15, 7555. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51793-w. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39215004/

2. Gusach, Anastasiia, Lee, Yang, Khoshgrudi, Armin Nikpour, Weyand, Simone N, Tate, Christopher G. 2023. Molecular recognition of an aversive odorant by the murine trace amine-associated receptor TAAR7f. In bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, , . doi:10.1101/2023.07.07.547762. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37461561/