Sex pheromones and olfactory proteins in Antheraea moths: A. pernyi and A. polyphemus (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Olfaction is essential for regulating the physiological and behavioral actions of insects with specific recognition of various odors. Antheraea moths (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) possess relatively large bodies and antennae so that they are good subjects for exploring molecular aspects of insect olfaction. Current knowledge of the molecular aspects of Antheraea olfaction is focused on the Chinese tussah silkmoth A. pernyi Guérin-Méneville and another species A. polyphemus (Cramer) in their pheromones, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), odorant receptors (ORs), odorant receptor coreceptors (ORCOs), sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), and odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs). The first insect OBP, SNMP, and ODE were identified from A. polyphemus. This review summarizes the principal findings associated with the olfactory physiology and its molecular components in the two Antheraea species. Three types of olfactory neurons may have specific ORs for three respective sex-pheromone components, with the functional sensitivity and specificity mediated by three respective OBPs. SNMPs and ODEs are likely to play important roles in sex-pheromone detection, inactivation, and degradation. Identification and functional analysis of the olfactory molecules remain to be further performed in A. pernyi, A. polyphemus, and other Antheraea species.