Current and potential biotechnological applications of odorant-binding proteins.

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are small soluble proteins whose biological function is believed to be facilitating olfaction by assisting the transport of volatile chemicals in both vertebrate and insect sensory organs, where they are secreted. Their capability to interact with a broad range of hydrophobic compounds combined with interesting features such as being small, stable, and easy to produce and modify, makes them suitable targets for applied research in various industrial segments, including textile, cosmetic, pesticide, and pharmaceutical, as well as for military, environmental, health, and security field applications. In addition to reviewing already established biotechnological applications of OBPs, this paper also discusses their potential use in prospecting of new technologies.

RNAi-based bioinsecticide for Aedes mosquito control.

Zika virus infection and dengue and chikungunya fevers are emerging viral diseases that have become public health threats. Their aetiologic agents are transmitted by the bite of genus Aedes mosquitoes. Without effective therapies or vaccines, vector control is the main strategy for preventing the spread of these diseases.

An insight into the transcriptome of the digestive tract of the bloodsucking bug, Rhodnius prolixus.

The bloodsucking hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus is a vector of Chagas' disease, which affects 7-8 million people today in Latin America. In contrast to other hematophagous insects, the triatomine gut is compartmentalized into three segments that perform different functions during blood digestion. Here we report analysis of transcriptomes for each of the segments using pyrosequencing technology.

Identification of a chemosensory receptor from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, that is highly conserved and expressed in olfactory and gustatory organs.

Aedes aegypti is a highly anthropophilic mosquito responsible for the transmission of dengue and yellow fever around the world. Like other mosquitoes, the biting and host preference behaviors of this disease vector are largely influenced by its sense of smell, which is presumably facilitated by G protein-coupled receptor signaling cascades. Here, we report the identification and characterization of AaOr7, the first candidate odorant receptor from Ae.