Ligand binding properties of OBP28a, a recombinant odorant binding protein from Drosophila melanogaster

National audience; Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are small (around 14 kDa) soluble proteins isolated from the sensory organs of a wide range of insect species. OBP reversely bind odorants with dissociation constants in the micromolar range and are good candidate for transporting hydrophobic odorant molecules to olfactory receptors, through the aqueous sensillar lymph. In the genome of Drosophila melanogaster, 52 OBPs with high sequence divergence have been identified. Amongst them, OBP28a is one of the most abundant odorant binding proteins suggesting an important physiological role. A recent study proposed a novel role for this OBP in buffering changes in the odor environment (Larter et …