title: Structural aspects of sexual attraction and chemical communication in insects.
abstract: In the animal kingdom, the relationship between individuals and the environment is often modulated by chemical communication. In the olfaction of insects, small antennary proteins--such as odorant- and pheromone-binding proteins (OBPs and PBPs, respectively) and chemosensory proteins (CSP)--have been proposed to carry their ligand from the air-fluid interface to the olfactory receptors. Binding experiments and recent structural studies of three PBPs, an OBP and a CSP have illustrated their versatility and ability to accommodate ligands of different shapes and chemical structures. The role of these proteins--as simple transporters or receptor triggers--is still a matter of debate, but some recent data seem to support the latter.
authors.affiliation: Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 6098 CNRS and Universités Aix-Marseille I & II, 31 Ch. Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tegoni
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Campanacci
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cambillau
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007313:Insecta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D043563:Receptors, Pheromone / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C435672:CSPMbraA6 protein, Mamestra brassicae; D019476:Insect Proteins; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; D043563:Receptors, Pheromone; D012724:Sex Attractants