Comparison and Functional Analysis of Odorant-Binding Proteins and Chemosensory Proteins in Two Closely Related Thrips Species, and (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Based on Antennal Transcriptome Analysis.

Two closely related thrips species, and , are important pests on agricultural and horticultural crops. They have several similarities, including occurrence patterns, host range, and aggregation pheromone compounds. However, there are very few reports about the chemosensory genes and olfactory mechanisms in these two species. To expand our knowledge of the thrips chemosensory system, we conducted antennal transcriptome analysis of two thrips species, and identified seven odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and eight chemosensory proteins (CSPs) in , as well as six OBPs and six CSPs in . OBPs and CSPs showed high sequence identity between the two thrips species. The RT-qPCR results showed that the orthologous genes , , , and were highly expressed in male adults. Molecular docking results suggested that orthologous pairs /, /, and / might be involved in transporting the major aggregation pheromone compound neryl ()-2-methylbutanoate, while orthologous pairs /, /, and / might be involved in transporting the minor aggregation pheromone compound ()-lavandulyl acetate. These results will provide a fundamental basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms of pheromone reception in the two thrips species.