Abstract
The piercing fruit moth Oraesia emarginata is an economically significant pest; however, our understanding of its olfactory mechanisms in infestation is limited. The present study conducted antennal transcriptome analysis of olfactory genes using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis (RT-qPCR). We identified a total of 104 candidate chemosensory genes from several gene families, including 35 olfactory receptors (ORs), 41 odorant-binding proteins, 20 chemosensory proteins, 6 ionotropic receptors, and 2 sensory neuron membrane proteins. Seven candidate pheromone receptors (PRs) and 3 candidate pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) for sex pheromone recognition were found. OemaOR29 and OemaPBP1 had the highest fragments per kb per million fragments (FPKM) values in all ORs and OBPs, respectively. Eighteen olfactory genes were upregulated in females, including 5 candidate PRs, and 20 olfactory genes were upregulated in males, including 2 candidate PRs (OemaOR29 and 4) and 2 PBPs (OemaPBP1 and 3). These genes may have roles in mediating sex-specific behaviors. Most candidate olfactory genes of sex pheromone recognition (except OemaOR29 and OemaPBP3) in O. emarginata were not clustered with those of studied noctuid species (type I pheromone). In addition, OemaOR29 was belonged to cluster PRIII, which comprise proteins that recognize type II pheromones instead of type I pheromones. The structure and function of olfactory genes that encode sex pheromones in O. emarginata might thus differ from those of other studied noctuids. The findings of the present study may help explain the molecular mechanism underlying olfaction and the evolution of olfactory genes encoding sex pheromones in O. emarginata.
Highlights
Olfaction plays a key role in foraging [1,2,3], mating [4,5], and oviposition behaviors [6,7,8] of insects
The candidate main sex pheromone-binding protein OemaPBP1 was not clustered into the subgroup of PBP1 genes from other noctuid species in the phylogenetic tree. These results indicate that the olfactory genes for sex pheromones in O. emarginata might differ from those of other noctuid species, Antennal transcriptome in Oraesia emarginata and the diversification of pheromone recognition genes for types I and II sex pheromones might exist in noctuid species
A total of 104 candidate olfactory genes, including 7 candidate pheromone receptors (PRs) and 3 candidate pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) were identified from the noctuid O. emarginata
Summary
Olfaction plays a key role in foraging [1,2,3], mating [4,5], and oviposition behaviors [6,7,8] of insects. Type I pheromones occur in about 75% of all studied moth species, whereas type II pheromones occur in about 15% of identified Lepidopteran pheromones [17]. These two major types of sex pheromones are produced through distinct pathways that involve different biosynthetic sites, substrates, and enzymes, as well as respectively employ specific endocrine regulatory mechanisms. Both types of pheromones have the same function in mate recognition and attraction in moths [16,18]
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