Abstract: Olfaction plays a major role in host finding and selection of malaria mosquitoes. The African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae is a highly anthropophilic malaria-transmitting vector. Two odorant binding protein (OBP) candidates (agLZ3788 and agLZ9988) have been identified using RT-PCR and standard molecular cloning techniques, based on its whole genomes equences. Sequencing and analysis showed that these two OBP genes are characterized by typical insect OBP motif. Furthermore, semi-quantitative RT-PCR was employed to study the spatial expression patterns of them, and the results demonstrated that they were not only expressed in female antennae, but also in other tissues, especially in mosquito legs. This finding indicates that mosquito OBPs might have other functions than binding odorants, and thus provides an important scientific basis for further recombinant and functional studies of mosquito OBPs.

Key words: Malaria mosquito; Anopheles gambiae, odorant-binding protein, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, spatial expression patterns