pheromone binding protein/general-odorant binding protein (PBP/GOBP) family proteins
Arthropod Odorant Binding Proteins (OBPs) extract odorants at the air-lymph interface and carry them to the olfactory receptors. In insects, OBPs are located in the antennal sensillary lymph. OBPs that bind insects' specific pheromones are called Pheromone Binding Proteins (PBPs), and OBPs that bind general odorant molecules are sometimes called General OBPs (GOPBs). The family includes PBPs and GOBPs mainly from insects, which are distinct from the vertebrate OBPs. PBPs are male-specific and associate with pheromone-sensitive neurons and GOBPs. GOBPs share a high level of sequence similarity with the PBPs. They may carry odorants rather than pheromones.