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POSTER PRESENTATION / POSTER SUNUM

Beyond Smell: Ectopic Olfactory Receptors in Veterinary Pharmacology

Rana Mollamahmutoğlu

Ankara University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology,
Ankara, TÜRKİYE

Correspound Author: mollamahmutoglu.rana@gmail.com

Olfactory receptors (ORs) were long considered to be confined to the nasal epithelium. However,
recent studies have revealed their expression in diverse non-olfactory tissues, including the brain,
heart, gastrointestinal tract, skin, muscle, and reproductive organs. This ectopic expression suggests

that ORs play important roles in systemic homeostasis, metabolic regulation, inflammation, and
tissue repair processes. As members of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family, ORs are

pharmacologically relevant because they can be activated by a wide range of ligands, including
dietary metabolites and natural compounds.
From a veterinary pharmacology perspective, ectopic ORs represent novel and promising
therapeutic targets. For instance, OR2AT4 accelerates wound healing in keratinocytes, OR10J5

promotes angiogenesis in vascular endothelial cells, Olfr78 contributes to hypoxia sensing in the
carotid body, and porcine OR51E1 in the gastrointestinal tract is regulated by the microbiota. These

examples highlight that ORs are not only conserved across species but also functionally relevant in
processes highly significant for veterinary medicine, such as tissue regeneration, vascular health, and
host–microbiota interactions.

In conclusion, ectopic ORs provide innovative opportunities for both understanding
fundamental physiological mechanisms and developing alternative therapeutic approaches in
veterinary pharmacology. Mapping species-specific receptor repertoires, characterizing ligand–

receptor interactions, and integrating functional assays into translational models will be essential for
advancing this emerging field.
Keywords: Ectopic olfactory receptors, Extranasal olfactory receptors, Olfactory receptors, GPCR, Drug

discovery, Alternative therapeutic approaches.

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