Discovery of behaviorally active semiochemicals in Aenasius bambawalei using a reverse chemical ecology approach

BACKGROUND The invasive mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis, has caused serious damage to cotton crops throughout the world. Aenasius bambawalei is a dominant endoparasitoid of P. solenopsis. Exploration of behaviorally active semiochemicals may promote the efficacy of parasitoids used in biological control. Reverse chemical ecology, based on the physiological function of odorant‐binding proteins (OBPs), provides an effective approach to screen behaviorally active compounds to target insect pests. Determination of the binding mechanisms and specificity towards different odorants in A. bambawalei may facilitate the development of more‐efficient biological control strategies. RESULTS We characterized the expression profile and analyzed the binding affinity of OBP28 in A. bambawalei. AbamOBP28 showed high expression in the wings and antennae of both male and female A. bambawalei. A fluorescence competitive binding assay indicated that AbamOBP28 displayed strong binding affinity to most candidate ligands. Circular dichroism spectra demonstrated that 1‐octen‐3‐one, myrcene, dodecane, 2,4,4‐trimethyl‐2‐pentene, nonanal, and limonene elicited conformational changes in AbamOBP28. Electrophysiological and behavioral bioassays revealed that diethyl sebacate, 2,4,4‐trimethyl‐2‐pentene, and 1‐octen‐3‐one evoked significant electroantennography responses and functioned as attractants in A. bambawalei at specific concentrations. Furthermore, three‐dimensional structure modeling and molecular docking showed that hydrogen bonds were formed by Glu1 and Ser75 of AbamOBP28 with diethyl sebacate, respectively. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that AbamOBP28 is involved in the chemoreception of A. bambawalei. The identified protein provides a potential target for efficient enemy utilization and pest control, and the overall results may help develop protocols for more effective screening of behaviorally active semiochemicals. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry Our study provides potential molecular targets for the development of high‐efficiency biological control strategies.