Abstract
Recently, two alternative targets in insect periphery nerve system have been explored for environmentally-friendly approaches in insect pest management, namely odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and odorant receptors (ORs). Located in insect antennae, OBPs are thought to be involved in the transport of odorants to ORs for the specific signal transduction of behaviorally active odorants. There is rich information on OBP binding affinity and molecular docking to bioactive compounds as well as ample 3D crystal structures due to feasible production of recombinant proteins. Although these provide excellent opportunities for them to be considered as pest control targets and a tool to design pest control agents, the debates on their binding specificity represent an obstacle. On the other hand, ORs have recently been functionally characterized with increasing evidence for their specificity, sensitivity and functional roles in pest behaviors. However, a major barrier to use ORs for semiochemical discovery is the lack of 3D crystal structures. Thus, OBPs and ORs have not been analyzed comparatively together so far for their feasibility as pest control targets. Here, we summarize the state of OBPs and ORs research in terms of its application in insect pest management. We discuss the suitability of both proteins as pest control targets and their selection toward the discovery of new potent semiochemicals. We argue that both proteins represent promising targets for pest control and can be used to identify new super-ligands likely present in nature and with reduced risk of resistance development than insect pesticides currently used in agriculture. We discuss that with the massive identification of OBPs through RNA-seq and improved binding affinity measurements, these proteins could be reconsidered as suitable targets for semiochemical discovery.
Highlights
The human population has increased dramatically and is predicted to reach 9 billion in 2050
Current specific examples are the concerns on the insecticide neonicotinoids for their role in decreasing honey bee populations (Godfray et al, 2014), the resistance to a wide range of insecticides that the peach potato aphid, Myzus persicae, has acquired because of intensive insecticide applications (Bass et al, 2014) and the spreading through globalization of several deadly diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue and Zika (Jones et al, 2008)
Two alternative targets in insect periphery nerve system have been explored for environmentally-friendly approaches in insect pest management, namely odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and odorant receptors (ORs)
Summary
The human population has increased dramatically and is predicted to reach 9 billion in 2050. Showed significant preference to only 2 compounds, (+)-α-longipinene and terpinolene that had a good binding affinity with SspOBP7 This so called reverse chemical ecology approach has accelerated the understanding of olfactory mechanisms and the discovery of active chemicals that could be used to manipulate insect behaviors for pest management (Leal, 2017). OBPs highlight as extracellular soluble proteins with significant experimental 3D structure information available and straightforward protocols for semiochemical screening by means of fluorescence binding characterizations Their broad specificity, wide distribution in non-olfactory tissues and secondary functions (e.g., scavengers, solubilizers, and regeneration) make their selection as targets a difficult task for semiochemical discovery. The objective of this review is to summarize the suitability and application of both ORs and OBPs in view of the discovery of pest control agents and discuss their further perspectives in insect pest management strategies
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