Transcriptome pyrosequencing of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia vestalis: genes involved in the antennal odorant-sensory system

PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e50664. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050664. Epub 2012 Nov 30.

Abstract

Cotesia vestalis is an endoparasitic wasp that attacks larvae of the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), a herbivore of cruciferous plants. Females of C. vestalis use herbivore-induced plant odorants released from plants infested by P. xylostella as a host-searching cue. Transcriptome pyrosequencing was used to identify genes in the antennae of C. vestalis adult females coding for odorant receptors (ORs) and odorant binding proteins (OBPs) involved in insect olfactory perception. Quantitative gene expression analyses showed that a few OR and OBP genes were expressed exclusively in the antenna of C. vestalis adult females whereas most other classes of genes were expressed in the antennae of both males and females, indicating their diversity in importance for the olfactory sensory system. Together, transcriptome profiling of C. vestalis genes involved in the antennal odorant-sensory system helps in detecting genes involved in host- and food-search behaviors through infochemically-mediated interactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arthropod Antennae / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Organ Specificity
  • Receptors, Odorant / genetics*
  • Sequence Analysis*
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Wasps / anatomy & histology*
  • Wasps / genetics*
  • Wasps / physiology

Substances

  • Receptors, Odorant
  • odorant-binding protein

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported in part by Global COE Program A06 of Kyoto University; the Core-to-Core Program from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) (No.20004); and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from JSPS (No. 24770019) to GA. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.