SSF47565

Insect pheromone/odorant-binding proteins

SUPERFAMILY entry
Member databaseSUPERFAMILY
SUPERFAMILY typehomologous superfamily

Description
Imported from IPR036728

The olfactory receptors of terrestrial animals exist in an aqueous environment, yet detect odorants that are primarily hydrophobic. The aqueous solubility of hydrophobic odorants is thought to be greatly enhanced via odorant binding proteins which exist in the extracellular fluid surrounding the odorant receptors
[1]
. This superfamily is composed of pheromone binding proteins (PBP) from arthropods
[2]
, which associate with pheromone-sensitive neurons and general-odorant binding proteins (GOBP), including the pheromone-binding protein Gp-9, general odorant-binding proteins and long and short forms of salivary protein D7 from mosquitoes
[2]
.

Members of this superfamily have an EF Hand-like fold, which has a core of four helices and an array of two opened hairpins. The N-terminal extension of these domains, containing a few short helices, forms a flexible lid for the binding cavity.

References
Imported from IPR036728

1.Odorant-binding-protein subfamilies associate with distinct classes of olfactory receptor neurons in insects. Vogt RG, Prestwich GD, Lerner MR. J. Neurobiol. 22, 74-84, (1991). View articlePMID: 2010751

2.Functional aspects of evolution in a cluster of salivary protein genes from mosquitoes. Alvarenga PH, Dias DR, Xu X, Francischetti IMB, Gittis AG, Arp G, Garboczi DN, Ribeiro JMC, Andersen JF. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 146, 103785, (2022). View articlePMID: 35568118

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