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Functional characteristics of a tiny but specialized olfactory system: Olfactory receptor neurons of carrot psyllids (Homoptera: Triozidae)

Author

Summary, in English

With only approximately 50 olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), the carrot psyllid Trioza apicalis (Homoptera: Psylloidea) may have the smallest olfactory system described in adult Neopteran insects. Using single sensillum recordings (SSR) and gas chromatograph-linked SSR, we characterized 4 olfactory sensilla forming a distinct morphological type, which together house approximately 25% of all ORNs. We recorded responses to extracts and single constituents from Daucus carota ssp. sativus, from the conifers Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, and Juniperus communis, as well as from male and female T. apicalis. Receptor neurons were highly selective; only 9 compounds in total elicited repeatable responses, and each neuron responded to at most 3 individual compounds. Chemical profiles of carrot and conifers showed significant overlap, with 4 out of 9 electrophysiologically active compounds occurring in more than one type of extract, but a carrot-specific compound elicited the most repeated responses. We identified 4 tentative neuron classes and found a rather high degree of neuronal redundancy, with 1 neuron class present in 3 and another present in all 4 of the sensilla, respectively.

Publishing year

2008

Language

English

Pages

759-769

Publication/Series

Chemical Senses

Volume

33

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Topic

  • Biological Sciences
  • Zoology

Keywords

  • sensillum
  • single sensillum recording
  • olfaction
  • host plant
  • GC-SSR
  • Trioza apicalis

Status

Published

Project

  • Chemical ecology of psyllids

Research group

  • Pheromone Group

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1464-3553