Protein Domain : Odorant/pheromone binding protein, Lepidoptera IPR006072

Type	Family
Description	Pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) are abundant, secreted antennal proteins present in olfactory sensilla. They lie in the lymph that surrounds the dendrites of olfactory receptor neurons []. The olfactory receptors of terrestrial animals exist in anaqueous 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 odorantreceptors [ ]. This family is composed of pheromone binding proteins (PBP), which are male-specific and associate withpheromone-sensitive neurons and general-odorant binding proteins (GOBP). GOBPs have been found in moth antennae, and share a high level of sequence similarity with the PBPs. They are believed to carry odorants rather than pheromones.This family is distinct from the vertebrate odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). This entry represents the PBPs and GOBPs in Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths).
Short Name	Odorant/phero-bd_Lep