Thread: "Catnip" cats vs "Valerian" cats

I read somewhere that cats have a gene determining their reaction to Catnip. Some cats don't have this gene, hence they don't care about Catnip. I discovered that my cats do not have a "Catnip" gene, since none of the toys infused with Catnip attracted them.
When they were kittens, I tried to give them dry Valerian, but they ignored it as well.
Just recently when I used Valerian capsules as a sleeping aid, I noticed that my kitties became very excited about the smell. Few moments later they licked my fingers covered with dry Valerian and rolled over the carpet in ecstasy. Anastasia seemed to react to Valerian more than Ariella, which make me think she may be homozygous for this gene.
My understanding that most American cats are "Catnip sniffers" and most European cats react to Valerian. Since my kitties have ancestors from England, they have Valerian gene.
I want to hear the opinion of European and American Maincoon (and non-Maincoon) parents.