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