Transcriptome-Based Identification of Highly Similar Odorant-Binding Proteins among Neotropical Stink Bugs and Their Egg Parasitoid

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 10;10(7):e0132286. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132286. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Olfaction plays a fundamental role in insect survival through resource location and intra and interspecific communications. We used RNA-Seq to analyze transcriptomes for odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) from major stink bug pest species in Brazil, Euschistus heros, Chinavia ubica, and Dichelops melacanthus, and from their egg parasitoid, Telenomus podisi. We identified 23 OBPs in E. heros, 25 OBPs in C. ubica, 9 OBPs in D. melacanthus, and 7 OBPs in T. podisi. The deduced amino acid sequences of the full-length OBPs had low intraspecific similarity, but very high similarity between two pairs of OBPs from E. heros and C. ubica (76.4 and 84.0%) and between two pairs of OBPs from the parasitoid and its preferred host E. heros (82.4 and 88.5%), confirmed by a high similarity of their predicted tertiary structures. The similar pairs of OBPs from E. heros and C. ubica may suggest that they have derived from a common ancestor, and retain the same biological function to bind a ligand perceived or produced in both species. The T. podisi OBPs similar to E. heros were not orthologous to any known hymenopteran OBPs, and may have evolved independently and converged to the host OBPs, providing a possible basis for the host location of T. podisi using E. heros semiochemical cues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Computer Simulation
  • Gene Library
  • Gene Ontology
  • Heteroptera / genetics*
  • Host-Parasite Interactions / genetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Ovum / parasitology*
  • Parasites / genetics*
  • Phylogeny
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Receptors, Odorant / chemistry
  • Receptors, Odorant / genetics
  • Receptors, Odorant / metabolism*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Species Specificity
  • Transcriptome / genetics*
  • Tropical Climate*

Substances

  • Receptors, Odorant
  • odorant-binding protein

Grants and funding

MB received CNPq/Embrapa grant (code 562307/201-9). SNB received FAPDF/PRONEX grant (code 193.000.583/2009). LRF and PHCS received post-graduation fellowships from CNPq and CAPES, respectively. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.