title: Tissue-specific transcriptomics, chromosomal localization, and phylogeny of chemosensory and odorant binding proteins from the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum reveal subgroup specificities for olfaction or more general functions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemoreception is based on the senses of smell and taste that are crucial for animals to find new food sources, shelter, and mates. The initial step in olfaction involves the translocation of odorants from the periphery through the aqueous lymph of the olfactory sensilla to the odorant receptors most likely by chemosensory proteins (CSPs) or odorant binding proteins (OBPs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  To better understand the roles of CSPs and OBPs in a coleopteran pest species, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), we performed transcriptome analyses of male and female antennae, heads, mouthparts, legs, and bodies, which revealed that all 20 CSPs and 49 of the 50 previously annotated OBPs are transcribed. Only six of the 20 CSP are significantly transcriptionally enriched in the main chemosensory tissues (antenna and/or mouthparts), whereas of the OBPs all eight members of the antenna binding proteins II (ABPII) subgroup, 18 of the 20 classic OBP subgroup, the C + OBP, and only five of the 21 C-OBPs show increased chemosensory tissue expression. By MALDI-TOF-TOF MS protein fingerprinting, we confirmed three CSPs, four ABPIIs, three classic OBPs, and four C-OBPs in the antennae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the classic OBPs and all ABPIIs are likely involved in chemoreception. A few are also present in other tissues such as odoriferous glands and testes and may be involved in release or transfer of chemical signals. The majority of the CSPs as well as the C-OBPs are not enriched in antennae or mouthparts, suggesting a more general role in the transport of hydrophobic molecules.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dippel
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oberhofer
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kahnt
authors.forename: Lizzy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerischer
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Opitz
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schachtner
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanke
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schütz
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB, Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, Goettingen 37077, Germany. ewimmer@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Ernst A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Wimmer
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angeli
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D057506:Arthropod Antennae / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017344:Genes, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; C045648:odorant-binding protein; D012313:RNA