Fig. 1

RT-PCR amplification and restriction digestion of odorant receptor transcripts from rat testis and round spermatids

PCR was conducted with cDNA from rat testis, round spermatids, and brain using degenerate primers designed against conserved regions of all members of the originally cloned putative odorant receptor family. (A) Using OdR1 and OdR2 primers, discrete products were obtained in testis and spermatids that correspond in size to a band derived from known odorant receptor clone F2. Primers OdR3 and OdR4 additionally produced a band in round spermatids corresponding in size to that obtained from the F2 clone. No products were detected in brain or in control samples that were reverse transcribed in the absence of reverse transcriptase. (B) The OdR1+2 testis product and the OdR3+4 spermatid product were isolated, reamplified and digested with EcoRI, Avail, and AluI. In each case, fragments were produced whose sum was greater than that of the undigested band, suggesting the existence of multiple receptor transcripts in testis and round spermatids.