Identification of Oral Secretion Proteins in Ostrinia furnacalis by Transcriptome and LC-MS/MS Analyses
State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, Institute of Cereal Crops, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2026, 17(4), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17040357
Submission received: 29 January 2026
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Revised: 6 March 2026
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Accepted: 20 March 2026
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Published: 24 March 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Molecular Biology: From Bioinformatics to Pest Management Applications)
Simple Summary
The Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis), a destructive lepidopteran pest in China’s major maize-producing regions, inflicts severe yield losses via larval boring-feeding across maize key growth stages and induces secondary maize diseases by creating pathogen accessible feeding wounds. As oral secretions (OS) are critical mediators of insect–plant interactions, we identified the component proteins from O. furnacalis OS using an integrated transcriptomics–LC-MS/MS approach. Bioinformatics analysis predicted the effector proteins such as protease, dehydrogenase, peroxidase, esterase FE4 that are potentially involved in regulating the pest’s feeding behavior and inducing maize defense responses. This study enriches the understanding of the adaptive mechanisms underlying the interaction between O. furnacalis and its plant host, and provides a valuable reference for research on OS of chewing herbivorous insects.
Abstract
Oral secretions (OS) of the Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis) play pivotal roles in its interactions with host plants. To systematically characterize the composition and potential functions of OS, 245 functionally annotated proteins from O. furnacalis reared on artificial diet were identified using an integrated approach combining transcriptomics and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Bioinformatics analyses were further performed to predict 16 effector proteins. Subsequent tissue-specific expression assays were conducted to quantify the transcriptional levels of genes encoding these effector proteins in salivary glands, guts, and residual tissues. Among these genes, OfGDH2, OfPero2, OfPero3, and OfCBP were highly expressed in salivary glands, OfGDH3, OfRGD, OfEST1, OfEST2, OfMET, and Offerrin showed high expression in guts, while OfSP34 was abundantly expressed in both salivary glands and guts. This study represents the first systematic characterization of the molecular profile of O. furnacalis OS, thereby laying a solid foundation for future investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying the host adaptation of this pest.
Keywords:
OS; O. furnacalis; effector protein; salivary gland; gut
