摘要

Insect odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) function in the perception of chemical cues such as pheromones and host-plant odors. Comparative genomic analysis has shown that OBP genes underwent the birth-and-death process through the evolution of Hexapoda, resulting in diverged OBP repertoires between distantly related species. On the other hand, comparisons between closely related species, particularly those species with different degrees of host specialization, are limited. In this study, 20 novel OBP genes were identified from Delia platura (Meigen) by transcriptome analysis in the antennae and legs. The repertoire of OBP genes was compared with that of a closely related species, Delia antiqua (Meigen). Although D. platura is a generalist while D. antiqua is a specialist in regard to their host utilization, expression profiles of these OBPs were almost identical between the two species. Evolutionary analysis showed that at least 14 OBPs have been under purifying selection, suggesting that they have a similar function in both species. These results suggest that the repertoire of OBPs was relatively independent from host specialization in these species.

  • 出版日期2015-11