Genotyping and Bio-Sensing Chemosensory Proteins in Insects

Abstract

Genotyping is the process of determining differences in the genetic make-up of an individual and comparing it to that of another individual. Focus on the family of chemosensory proteins (CSPs) in insects reveals differences at the genomic level across various strains and biotypes, but none at the level of individuals, which could be extremely useful in the biotyping of insect pest species necessary for the agricultural, medical and veterinary industries. Proposed methods of genotyping CSPs include not only restriction enzymatic cleavage and amplification of cleaved polymorphic sequences, but also detection of retroposons in some specific regions of the insect chromosome. Design of biosensors using CSPs addresses tissue-specific RNA mutations in a particular subtype of the protein, which could be used as a marker of specific physiological conditions. Additionally, we refer to the binding properties of CSP proteins tuned to lipids and xenobiotic insecticides for the development of a new generation of biosensor chips, monitoring lipid blood concentration and chemical environmental pollution.

Comprehensive History of CSP Genes: Evolution, Phylogenetic Distribution and Functions

“…We characterize hymenopteron's CSPs, annotation, classification, genomic organization, structure, phylogenetic distribution and expression of the CSP genes from honeybees (Apis mellifera) and parasitoid emerald jewel wasps (Nasonia vitripennis). In particular, we show that both A. mellifera and N. vitripennis have an extremely low number of CSP genes, as found, for instance, in the Drosophila fly, the Anopheles mosquito and the Pediculus humanus corporis louse (see Figure 2, Tables S1,S2) [12][13][14]31,37,38]. Although both species used as models, A. mellifera and N. vitripennis, do belong to the order Hymenoptera suborder Apocrita, they are part of two different clades, i.e., Aculeata and Parasitica that diverged more than 200 Mya.…”

“…Similar to Pediculus humanus corporis, Drosophila melanogaster (carpophagous, dipteron) and Anopheles gambiae (hematophagous and nectariphagous, dipteron) have a rather low number of CSPs (the number of CSPs (nb) = 4-to-7 in these species) [12,31,37]. A significantly higher number of CSP genes are found in the genome of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (granivorous omnivorous, coleopteron) (nb = 19) [14,38]. This includes only model insect species where the genomic organization (clustering, grouping and mapping) of CSPs on the chromosomal level is known [12][13][14]31,37,38].…”

“…A significantly higher number of CSP genes are found in the genome of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (granivorous omnivorous, coleopteron) (nb = 19) [14,38]. This includes only model insect species where the genomic organization (clustering, grouping and mapping) of CSPs on the chromosomal level is known [12][13][14]31,37,38].…”

“…Here, adding new sets of data in comparative genomics of a handful of species limited to two dipterons, one lepidopteron, one coleopteron and one phthirapteron were required to address hypothesis analysis. Therefore, we selected two cases in eusocial insect species (bees and wasps) to add two hymenopterons in the handful of species for which genome organization and structure of CSPs in insects are known [12][13][14]31,37,38]. We characterize hymenopteron's CSPs, annotation, classification, genomic organization, structure, phylogenetic distribution and expression of the CSP genes from honeybees (Apis mellifera) and parasitoid emerald jewel wasps (Nasonia vitripennis).…”

“…In Apis and Nasonia, there are no pseudos or truncated CSP genes that have lost function after exon deletion [14,38] (Figure 2, Figure S1 and Tables S1,S2). Moreover, in contrast to coleopteran, dipteran and lepidopteran species, no intronless CSP genes are found in the honeybee A. mellifera and the parasitoid jewel wasp N. vitripennis, similar to the human body louse P. humanus [12][13][14]30,37,38] (Figure 2 and Tables S1,S2). Therefore, the data presented here argue for CSP loss as an essential evolutionary mechanism for adaptation and phenotypic variance not only in lice, but also in bees and parasitoid wasps.…”