Molecular Characterization and Expression Pattern of Two Pheromone-Binding Proteins from Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 487 - 498
• Main Authors: Xiu, Wei-Ming, Zhou, Yao-Zhen, Dong, Shuang-Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York New York : Springer-Verlag 01.04.2008; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Animals; antennae; Base Sequence; binding proteins; Biochemistry; Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Microscopy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chemical ecology; Chemosensory perception; complementary DNA; cutworms; DNA Primers; Ecology; Entomology; exons; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gender differences; gene expression; genes; Insect Proteins - chemistry; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Insecta; introns; Invertebrates; Lepidoptera; Life Sciences; molecular cloning; Molecular Sequence Data; Noctuidae; nucleotide sequences; Pheromones; Pheromones - metabolism; Physiology. Development; Proteins; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; sex pheromones; Spodoptera; Spodoptera litura; Worms; Pheromone binding protein (PBP); Real-time PCR; Expression pattern; Common cutworm; Sex pheromone; Common cutworm .Expression pattern; Pheromone binding protein (PBP) .Real-time PCR; Insecta; Pheromone; Gene expression; Polymerase chain reaction; Binding protein; Spodoptera litura; Arthropoda; Lepidoptera; Sensorial perception; Noctuidae; Invertebrata; Semiochemicals
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1007/s10886-008-9452-0

Pheromone perception is thought to be mediated by pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) in the lymph surrounding the olfactory receptors. We cloned and characterized two PBP genes (SlitPBP1 and SlitPBP2) from the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (F.; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which encode PBPs belonging to two different PBP groups. Western blot analysis of the crude antennal extracts with SexigPBP1 antibody revealed a single immunoreactive band (much stronger in male than in female) of ~16 kDa, in agreement with the calculated values for SlitPBPs. From genomic DNA, two introns and a similar exon/intron structural pattern were identified in each PBP genes, but the introns differed in length within and between PBP genes. The expression patterns of two SlitPBP genes, with respect to tissue distribution and sex, were further investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR. Although the two PBP genes were expressed only in the antennae of both sexes, reflecting the antennal specificity of PBPs, the transcription levels of PBP genes differed between the sexes and the genes. The transcription levels of SlitPBP1 and SlitPBP2 in females were only 2.1% and 7.0%, respectively, relative to those in males, and the levels of PBP2 compared with PBP1 were 31.4% and 95.3% in males and females, respectively. These differential expression levels might suggest different roles played by the two SlitPBPs in the perception of sex pheromone both in males and females.