›› 2006, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (3): 355-362.

• RESEARCH PAPERS •     Next Articles

Identification and expression pattern of two pheromone binding proteins in silkworm, Bombyx mori

GONG Da-Ping, ZHAO Ping, LIN Ying,ZHANG Hui-Jie, XIA Qing-You, XIANG Zhong-Huai   

  1. The Key Sericultural Laboratory of Agricultural Ministry, College of Sericulture and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
  • Online:2006-07-10 Published:2006-06-20

Abstract:

Olfaction plays an important role in insect behaviors for survival and reproduction. In this study, we obtained two cDNA fragments encoding two silkworm pheromone binding proteins, named BmPBP2 and BmPBP3, respectively. Together with already reported silkworm PBP1 and two general odorant_binding proteins (GOBPs), all these five genes, consisting of three exons, have conserved exon/intron boundary and six characteristic cysteines. Of them, the three PBP genes are present in tandem arrays. Homology analysis showed that the BmPBP2 and BmPBP3 had about 69% and 63% identity with PBPs from Manduca sexta, respectively. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that BmPBP2 and BmPBP3 were specific expressed in female and male antennae with the same level. These results show that BmPBP2 and BmPBP3 are possibly involved in pheromone detection and discrimination.

Key words: Bombyx mori, olfaction, odorant-binding protein, pheromone binding proteins, semi-quantitative RT-PCR