A NOVEL CLASS OF BINDING-PROTEINS IN THE ANTENNAE OF THE SILK MOTH ANTHERAEA-PERNYI

Using recombinant DNA approaches a cDNA clone was isolated from antennal libraries of Antheraea pernyi which encodes the complete sequence of a putative pheromone or odorant binding protein. The deduced protein sequence consist of a signal peptide of 19 amino acids and a mature protein of 141 amino acid residues. It shares a number of structural features with previously identified pheromone binding proteins although the predicted primary structures show only moderate homologies; Furthermore, the identified clone is preferentially expressed in female antennae.