Cuticular proteins: Essential molecular code for insect survival

The insect cuticle is essential for survival and environmental adaptation, comprising over 100 cuticular proteins (CPs) that represent approximately 1 % of the insect genome coding genes. This complexity is unique among biological materials, underscoring the diverse roles of CPs in insect biology. However, the reasons for this extensive CP repertoire and their precise functional mechanisms persist as unresolved questions in entomology. Recently, advances in molecular biology and genomics have yielded significant progress in elucidating CP functions. Studies demonstrate that CPs are crucial not only for cuticle formation and development but also for regulating body size, coloration, cuticular structure development, environmental adaptation, immune defense, viral interactions, and insecticide resistance. This review comprehensively summarizes current insect CP research, highlights their diverse physiological and ecological roles, and explores their translational potential for pest management and biomimetic material design.