Insect Odorant Binding proteins are promising candidates for the development of innovative biosensors

The emission and the perception of chemical molecules represent the main communication system for insects as it regulates vital functions such as the selection of food substrates, mating, selection of oviposition sites and dangers avoidance. The perception of volatile substances is related to gene families encoding for proteins belonging to Odorant Binding Proteins (OBPs), Olfactory Receptors (ORs), Ionotropic Receptors (IRs) and Chemosensory Proteins (CSPs). Specifically, OBPs are able to bind the hydrophobic chemical molecules allowing them to cross the sensory lymph and bind to the olfactory receptors on the dendrites of sensory neurons, activating the signal transduction processes. The variety of insect OBPs and their involvement in smelling volatiles of different nature suggest the use of these proteins in a multiplicity of biotechnological applications. Insect OBPs can be used as biological sensory unit for the development of biosensors to detect Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), present in food and beverages. The characterization of the aroma of wines represents an interesting challenge. Grape and wine terpenes play a fundamental role in the definition of quality and typicity. Different aphid OBPs are known to mediate the perception of some terpenes e.g. farnesol, geranyl acetate and limonene. In other cases, undesired compounds can negatively affect the organoleptic quality of wines, adding unpleasant aromatic and taste characteristics. Among undesired compounds, ethyl phenyl acetate is a pheromone of different species of Hymenoptera whose OBPs will be identified and characterized.