Key protein required for the function and survival of pheromone‑sensing neurons identified

MedicalXpress | апр 07, 2026

Researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad have identified a mammalian protein, Cnpy1 (Canopy1), that is essential for the survival and function of vomeronasal sensory neurons in mice. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study shows that Cnpy1 acts as a specialized endoplasmic‑reticulum‑associated factor required to maintain functional receptor complexes in these neurons, allowing them to thrive in an unusually high ER‑stress‑like environment.