Male accessory gland (MAG) proteins are transferred along with the sperm to females at the time of mating and have diverse effects on female reproductive physiology in a wide range of insects. In this study, we sought to identify the MAG proteins in Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee, a Solanum melongena L. pest, by analyzing the MAG proteins of virgin and mated male moths by nano‐LC‐ESI‐MS/MS techniques. A total of 142 and 131 proteins in virgin and mated males were identified, respectively, among which 17 (12.0%) and 10 (7.6%) proteins were found to show secretory signals in virgin and mated males, respectively. These secretory proteins were shown to be involved in several biological processes in insects, including egg development, sperm‐related functions/capacitation, defense, metabolism, and protein chaperoning. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to perform a proteome analysis of the MAG proteins of L. orbonalis, and offers an opportunity for further investigation of the functions of these proteins. In insects, certain MAG proteins are known to inhibit mating whereas others accelerate egg‐laying. Therefore, the identification of these proteins in L. orbonalis may be useful for pest control.

Background Allatotropin, a neuropeptide found in several invertebrates indirectly regulates vitellogenesis by stimulating juvenile hormone biosynthesis by the corpora allata. Here, we cloned and expressed the gene encoding allatotropin of Spodoptera litura (tobacco cutworm), a polyphagous pest in the Asian tropics. This study is aimed at studying the effect of recombinant protein on egg-laying in females of S. litura as it could be used as a method to control the pests from a reproductive perspective. Results The protein encodes a full-length open reading frame consisting of 173 amino acids and was rich in arginine (10%) and glutamic acid (9.3%). The theoretical pI of the protein was 5.47 and a hydrophobic signal peptide of 22 residues was predicted. The recombinant allatotropin was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and purified by nickel exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of the recombinant protein was about 37 kDa and expression levels up to 5.3 mg/ml were achieved. Injection assay in vitro indicated that allatotropin induces egg-laying during the first scotophase after treatment in females of Spodoptera litura. Conclusion Allatotropin induces egg-laying in female moths and could be a potential molecule for the development of control strategies against Spodoptera litura. In this strategy, the protein if delivered to the females before mating may lead to accelerated egg deposition much before she encounters the male moths, thus the population being checked as the eggs deposited by the females are unfertilized. Thus, the present work could lead to the development of a protein based biopesticide resulting into a species-specific and an eco-friendly way of pest control.

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