State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e30040. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030040. Epub 2012 Jan 23.
Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) mediate both perception and release of semiochemicals in insects. These proteins are the ideal targets for understanding the olfactory code of insects as well as for interfering with their communication system in order to control pest species. The two sibling Lepidopteran species Helicoverpa armigera and H. assulta are two major agricultural pests. As part of our aim to characterize the OBP repertoire of these two species, here we focus our attention on a member of this family, OBP10, particularly interesting for its expression pattern. The protein is specifically expressed in the antennae of both sexes, being absent from other sensory organs. However, it is highly abundant in seminal fluid, is transferred to females during mating and is eventually found on the surface of fertilised eggs. Among the several different volatile compounds present in reproductive organs, OBP10 binds 1-dodecene, a compound reported as an insect repellent. These results have been verified in both H. armigera and H. assulta with no apparent differences between the two species. The recombinant OBP10 binds, besides 1-dodecene, some linear alcohols and several aromatic compounds. The structural similarity of OBP10 with OBP1 of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, a protein reported to bind an oviposition pheromone, and its affinity with 1-dodecene suggest that OBP10 could be a carrier for oviposition deterrents, favouring spreading of the eggs in these species where cannibalism is active among larvae.
气味结合蛋白 (OBP) 在昆虫中既介导信息素的感知，也介导信息素的释放。这些蛋白质是理解昆虫嗅觉密码以及干扰其通讯系统以控制害虫物种的理想目标。两种亲缘关系密切的鳞翅目昆虫棉铃虫和烟青虫是两种主要的农业害虫。作为我们旨在描述这两个物种的 OBP 谱的一部分，我们在这里特别关注该家族的一个成员，OBP10，因其表达模式而特别有趣。该蛋白特异性地在两性触角中表达，而不存在于其他感觉器官中。然而，它在精液中含量非常高，在交配过程中被转移到雌性身上，并最终在受精卵的表面找到。在生殖器官中存在的几种不同挥发性化合物中，OBP10 结合 1-十二烯，一种被报道为昆虫驱避剂的化合物。这些结果在棉铃虫和烟青虫中都得到了验证，两种物种之间没有明显差异。重组 OBP10 结合 1-十二烯以外，还结合一些线性醇和几种芳香族化合物。OBP10 与蚊子库蚊的 OBP1 具有结构相似性，后者被报道结合产卵信息素，并且与 1-十二烯的亲和力表明 OBP10 可能是产卵抑制剂的载体，有利于在这些物种中传播卵，因为幼虫之间存在同类相食。
