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BackgroundSince chemosensory genes play key roles in insect behaviour, they can potentially be used as new targets for pest control. The cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi, is a serious insect pest of cruciferous vegetables in China and other Asian countries. However, a systematic identification of the chemosensory genes expressed in the antennae has not been reported.ResultsWe assembled the antennal transcriptome of C. bowringi by using Illumina sequencing technology and identified 104 candidate chemosensory genes by analyzing transcriptomic data, which included transcripts encoding 26 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 12 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), four sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), 43 odorant receptors (ORs), nine ionotropic receptors (IRs), and ten gustatory receptors (GRs). The data obtained are similar to those found in other coleopteran species, suggesting that our approach successfully identified the chemosensory genes of C. bowringi. The expression patterns of 43 OR genes, some of which were predominately found in the antenna or associated with sex-biased expression, were analyzed using quantitative real time RT-PCR (qPCR).ConclusionsOur study revealed that a large number of chemosensory genes are expressed in C. bowringi. These candidate chemosensory genes and their expression profiles in various tissues provide further information on understanding their function in C. bowringi as well as other insects, and identifying potential targets to disrupt the odorant system in C. bowringi so that new methods for pest management can be developed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2236-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Gamma interferon (IFN-␥) release assays have been proven to be useful in the diagnosis of 5%). In conclusion, the IFN-␥ ELISPOT assay is a useful adjunct to current tests for diagnosis of active TB in China. The ELISPOT assay is more accurate than TST in identifying TB infections.Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world, with 95% of cases and 97% of all deaths occurring in high-prevalence countries, such as China, where the prevalence of active TB is as high as 367/100,000 population (10). For the effective and efficient control of TB in these countries, rapid diagnosis and treatment for active-TB patients are the mainstays of the TB control program. However, the current widely used tests, including acid-fast staining of sputum, mycobacterial culture, and antibody test, are not satisfactory for this purpose (4).Recently, commercial immunodiagnostic tests for TB infection have been introduced. These tests are based on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens early secretory antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10