Genome‐wide identification of olfactory receptor and odorant‐binding protein gene families and their roles in Heliothine chemosensory evolution

Description

Rong Guo, Boyang Ni, and Megan L. Fritz published a 2026 genome-wide study of smell genes in the moth Chloridea virescens, part of the Heliothinae group. Two gene families, odorant receptors and odorant-binding proteins, let insects detect scents for feeding and mating. The team catalogued both families across the moth genome and compared them with relatives.

They found 81 receptor genes and 49 binding protein genes, the latter sorted into three types by a structural pattern. Family trees suggested gene gains and losses that may track differing scent behavior among species. A shared region in pheromone receptors looked central to detection, and the authors propose testing its function experimentally as a route to understanding ecological adaptation.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/PMC13551510