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The 40-Year Mystery of Insect Odorant-Binding Proteins. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11040509. [PMID: 33808208 PMCID: PMC8067015 DOI: 10.3390/biom11040509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival of insects depends on their ability to detect molecules present in their environment. Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) form a family of proteins involved in chemoreception. While OBPs were initially found in olfactory appendages, recently these proteins were discovered in other chemosensory and non-chemosensory organs. OBPs can bind, solubilize and transport hydrophobic stimuli to chemoreceptors across the aqueous sensilla lymph. In addition to this broadly accepted "transporter role", OBPs can also buffer sudden changes in odorant levels and are involved in hygro-reception. The physiological roles of OBPs expressed in other body tissues, such as mouthparts, pheromone glands, reproductive organs, digestive tract and venom glands, remain to be investigated. This review provides an updated panorama on the varied structural aspects, binding properties, tissue expression and functional roles of insect OBPs.
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Guo S, Tian Z, Quan WL, Sun D, Liu W, Wang XP. Comparative transcriptomics of the pheromone glands provides new insights into the differentiation of sex pheromone between two host populations of Chilo suppressalis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3499. [PMID: 32103103 PMCID: PMC7044216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60529-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive isolation between different host populations is often based on intraspecific sex pheromone differences. The mechanisms underlying these differences have not been thoroughly elucidated to date. Previous studies suggested that Chilo suppressalis has differentiated into rice and water-oat host populations, and these two populations manifest clear differences in sex pheromone titer and mating rhythm. Hence, this moth is an ideal model to investigate the endogenous mechanisms of intraspecific reproductive isolation. Here, we identified a series of putative genes associated with sex pheromone biosynthesis based on the C. suppressalis pheromone gland transcriptome data. Transcripts of most genes were at higher level in the rice population. Then we obtained 11 pivotal differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The expression levels of these DEGs exhibited a distinct increase in the rice population. Moreover, we also observed the expression rhythm of these DEGs is discrepant between two host populations. Our study offers a new understanding to elucidate the mechanisms of intraspecific reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Guo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China
| | - Zhong Tian
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China
| | - Wei-Li Quan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China
| | - Dan Sun
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China
| | - Wen Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China
| | - Xiao-Ping Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China.
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Bruno D, Grossi G, Salvia R, Scala A, Farina D, Grimaldi A, Zhou JJ, Bufo SA, Vogel H, Grosse-Wilde E, Hansson BS, Falabella P. Sensilla Morphology and Complex Expression Pattern of Odorant Binding Proteins in the Vetch Aphid Megoura viciae (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Front Physiol 2018; 9:777. [PMID: 29988577 PMCID: PMC6027062 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemoreception in insects is mediated by several components interacting at different levels and including odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). Although recent studies demonstrate that the function of OBPs cannot be restricted to an exclusively olfactory role, and that OBPs have been found also in organs generally not related to chemoreception, their feature of binding molecules remains undisputed. Studying the vetch aphid Megoura viciae (Buckton), we used a transcriptomic approach to identify ten OBPs in the antennae and we examined the ultrastructural morphology of sensilla and their distribution on the antennae, legs, mouthparts and cauda of wingless and winged adults by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three types of sensilla, trichoid, coeloconic and placoid, differently localized and distributed on antennae, mouthparts, legs and cauda, were described. The expression analysis of the ten OBPs was performed by RT-qPCR in the antennae and other body parts of the wingless adults and at different developmental stages and morphs. Five of the ten OBPs (MvicOBP1, MvicOBP3, MvicOBP6, MvicOBP7, and MvicOBP8), whose antibodies were already available, were selected for experiments of whole-mount immunolocalization on antennae, mouthparts, cornicles and cauda of adult aphids. Most of the ten OBPs were more expressed in antennae than in other body parts; MvicOBP1, MvicOBP3, MvicOBP6, MvicOBP7 were also immunolocalized in the sensilla on the antennae, suggesting a possible involvement of these proteins in chemoreception. MvicOBP6, MvicOBP7, MvicOBP8, MvicOBP9 were highly expressed in the heads and three of them (MvicOBP6, MvicOBP7, MvicOBP8) were immunolocalized in the sensilla on the mouthparts, supporting the hypothesis that also mouthparts may be involved in chemoreception. MvicOBP2, MvicOBP3, MvicOBP5, MvicOBP8 were highly expressed in the cornicles-cauda and two of them (MvicOBP3, MvicOBP8) were immunolocalized in cornicles and in cauda, suggesting a possible new function not related to chemoreception. Moreover, the response of M. viciae to different components of the alarm pheromone was assessed by behavioral assays on wingless adult morph; (-)-α-pinene and (+)-limonene were found to be the components mainly eliciting an alarm response. Taken together, our results represent a road map for subsequent in-depth analyses of the OBPs involved in several physiological functions in M. viciae, including chemoreception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Bruno
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Gerarda Grossi
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Rosanna Salvia
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Andrea Scala
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Donatella Farina
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Annalisa Grimaldi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Jing-Jiang Zhou
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, United Kingdom
| | - Sabino A. Bufo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Heiko Vogel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Ewald Grosse-Wilde
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S. Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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Pelosi P, Iovinella I, Zhu J, Wang G, Dani FR. Beyond chemoreception: diverse tasks of soluble olfactory proteins in insects. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:184-200. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 285] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Pelosi
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests; Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Beijing 100193 China
| | | | - Jiao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests; Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Beijing 100193 China
| | - Guirong Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests; Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Beijing 100193 China
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Abstract
Moth sexual pheromones are widely studied as a fine-tuned system of intraspecific sexual communication that reinforces interspecific reproductive isolation. However, their evolution poses a dilemma: How can the female pheromone and male preference simultaneously change to create a new pattern of species-specific attraction? Solving this puzzle requires us to identify the genes underlying intraspecific variation in signals and responses and to understand the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for their interspecific divergence. Candidate gene approaches and functional analyses have yielded insights into large families of biosynthetic enzymes and pheromone receptors, although the factors controlling their expression remain largely unexplored. Intra- and interspecific crosses have provided tantalizing evidence of regulatory genes, although, to date, mapping resolution has been insufficient to identify them. Recent advances in high-throughput genome and transcriptome sequencing, together with established techniques, have great potential to help scientists identify the specific genetic changes underlying divergence and resolve the mystery of how moth sexual communication systems evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid T Groot
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany;
| | - Teun Dekker
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden;
| | - David G Heckel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany;
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Yew JY, Chung H. Insect pheromones: An overview of function, form, and discovery. Prog Lipid Res 2015; 59:88-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Castillo C, Chen H, Graves C, Maisonnasse A, Le Conte Y, Plettner E. Biosynthesis of ethyl oleate, a primer pheromone, in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 42:404-416. [PMID: 22406167 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2012.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 02/18/2012] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees undergo a physiological transition from nursing to foraging approximately 21 days after adult emergence. This transition is delayed by ethyl oleate (EO), a primer pheromone produced by foragers when exposed to ethanol from fermented nectar. We demonstrate here that two secreted α/β-hydrolases (BeeBase ID: GB11403 and GB13365) are responsible for the reversible esterification of ethanol with oleic acid, giving EO. Expression of hydrolase GB11403 was shown to be significantly up-regulated in foragers, relative to nurses. Tissue perfusion experiments with labeled substrates consistently localized the highest level of EO production in the head, whereas in situ imaging revealed expression of relevant EO biosynthetic genes and enzymatic activity along the esophagus, the site of ethanol exposure during nectar intake. Both α/β-hydrolases were expressed in Pichia pastoris, purified and were shown produce EO in vitro. Experiments with live bees fed ethanol demonstrated that EO formed in regurgitate accumulates in the honey crop and exudes to the exoskeleton, from where it exerts its primer effect on younger bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Castillo
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada.
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Vogel H, Heidel AJ, Heckel DG, Groot AT. Transcriptome analysis of the sex pheromone gland of the noctuid moth Heliothis virescens. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:29. [PMID: 20074338 PMCID: PMC2820457 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2009] [Accepted: 01/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The chemical components of sex pheromones have been determined for more than a thousand moth species, but so far only a handful of genes encoding enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of these compounds have been identified. For understanding the evolution of moth sexual communication, it is essential to know which genes are involved in the production of specific pheromone components and what controls the variation in their relative frequencies in the pheromone blend. We used a transcriptomic approach to characterize the pheromone gland of the Noctuid moth Heliothis virescens, an important agricultural pest, in order to obtain substantial general sequence information and to identify a range of candidate genes involved in the pheromone biosynthetic pathway. RESULTS To facilitate identifying sets of genes involved in a broad range of processes and to capture rare transcripts, we developed our majority of ESTs from a normalized cDNA library of Heliothis virescens pheromone glands (PG). Combining these with a non-normalized library yielded a total of 17,233 ESTs, which assembled into 2,082 contigs and 6,228 singletons. Using BLAST searches of the NR and Swissprot databases we were able to identify a large number of putative unique gene elements (unigenes), which we compared to those derived from previous transcriptomic surveys of the larval stage of Heliothis virescens. The distribution of unigenes among GO Biological Process functional groups shows an overall similarity between PG and larval transcriptomes, but with distinct enrichment of specific pathways in the PG. In addition, we identified a large number of candidate genes in the pheromone biosynthetic pathways. CONCLUSION These data constitute one of the first large-scale EST-projects for Noctuidae, a much-needed resource for exploring these pest species. Our analysis shows a surprisingly complex transcriptome and we identified a large number of potential pheromone biosynthetic pathway and immune-related genes that can be applied to population and systematic studies of Heliothis virescens and other Noctuidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Vogel
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Andrew J Heidel
- Leibniz Institute for Age Research, Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Beutenbergstraße 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - David G Heckel
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Astrid T Groot
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
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