title: An overview of odorant-binding protein functions in  insect peripheral olfactory reception.
abstract: Insect olfactory perception involves many aspects of  insect life, and can directly or indirectly evoke either individual or group  behaviors. Insect olfactory receptors and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are  considered to be crucial to insect-specific and -sensitive olfaction. Although  the mechanisms of interaction between OBPs or OBP/ligand complex with olfactory  receptors are still not well understood, it has been shown that many OBPs  contribute to insect olfactory perception at various levels. Some of these are  numerous and divergent members in OBP family; expression in the olfactory organ  at high concentration; a variety of combinational patterns between different  OBPs and ligands, but exclusive affinity for one OBP to specific binding  ligands; complicated interactions between OBP/ligand complex and transmembrane  proteins (olfactory receptors or sensory neuron membrane proteins). First, we  review OBPs' ligand-binding property based on OBP structural research and  ligand-binding test; then, we review current progress around the points cited  above to show the role of such proteins in insect olfactory signal  transmission; finally, we discuss applications based on insect OBP research.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D010675:Pheromones; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; C045648:odorant-binding protein