Patent ID: 8637259

Claim:
A method for identifying an agent that modulates the function of one or more Olfactory Receptor polypeptide(s) (ORs) selected from the group consisting of: OR52L1, OR52E8, OR52B2, OR51I2, OR52E1, OR52A5 and OR56A5 comprising the steps of: a) contacting said one or more ORs with one or more carboxylic acid(s) selected from the group of consisting of: butanoic acid, isovaleric acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, 3-methylhexanoic acid, (E)-3-methly-2-hexenoic acid, 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid, octanoic acid, 4-ethyloctanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid and benzoic acid, in the presence and in the absence of said agent under conditions permitting the binding of said carboxylic acid(s) to said ORs or permitting the activation of said ORs by said carboxylic acid(s), b) comparing the binding of said one or more ORs to said one or more carboxylic acid(s), or the activity of said one or more ORs, in the presence and in the absence of said agent, wherein a difference in binding or activity in the presence of said agent, relative to the binding or activity in the absence of the agent, identifies the agent as an agent that modulates the function of said one or more ORs in response to said one or more carboxylic acid(s).