D3423: Odorant-binding and chemosensory proteins in Anthonomus eugenii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The pepper weevil Anthonomus eugenii is one of the most damaging pests in the pepper crop, chemical communication is involved in their aggregation and mating behavior; here we present twenty-two transcripts belonging to families related to chemosensory processes, seventeen correspond to Odorant-binding proteins (OBP), and six to Chemosensory proteins (CSP). All matched with closely related Coleoptera: Curculionidae homologous proteins. Likewise, twelve OBPs and three CSPs transcripts were experimentally characterized by RT-PCR in both sex in different tissues. The results displays different expression patterns of the AeugOBPs a AeugCSPs; some are present in both sexes and all tissues, while others show expressions with higher specificity, which suggests diverse physiological functions in addition to chemo-detection. This study provides information to support the understanding of the odor perception in the pepper weevil