AUTHOR=Zeng Yang , Merchant Austin , Wu Qingjun , Wang Shaoli , Kong Lan , Zhou Xuguo , Xie Wen , Zhang Youjun 

TITLE=A Chemosensory Protein BtabCSP11 Mediates Reproduction in Bemisia tabaci

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.00709

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2020.00709

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p>The olfactory system serves a vital role in the evolution and survival of insects, being involved in behaviors such as host seeking, foraging, mating, and oviposition. Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are involved in the olfactory recognition process. In this study, <italic>BtabCSP11</italic>, a <italic>CSP11</italic> gene from the whitefly <italic>Bemisia tabaci</italic>, was cloned and characterized. The open reading frame of <italic>BtabCSP11</italic> encodes 136 amino acids, with four highly conserved cysteine residues. The temporal and spatial expression profiles showed that <italic>BtabCSP11</italic> was highly expressed in the abdomens of <italic>B. tabaci</italic> females. Dietary RNA interference (RNAi)-based functional analysis showed substantially reduced fecundity in parthenogenetically reproduced females, suggesting a potential role of <italic>BtabCSP11</italic> in <italic>B. tabaci</italic> reproduction. These combined results expand the function of CSPs beyond chemosensation.</p>