Relationship between sex pheromone elicited behaviour and response of single olfactory receptor neurones in a wind tunnel

Summary, in English

Responses from pheromone-specific receptor neurones in male Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were recorded in a laboratory wind tunnel. Stimuli were: (1) rubber septum dispensers loaded with single components or a four-component pheromone blend, (2) excised glands from female A. segetum, (3) constrained A. segetum females with extruded glands. Dose-response curves for three neurone-types with different specificity were established. The neurones were specifically tuned to respond to either one of the two pheromone components (Z)-5-decenyl acetate and (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate, or to the behavioural antagonist (Z)-5-decenol. In parallel, a behavioural dose-response curve with males flying upwind to a four-component pheromone blend was established. There was a clear correlation between behavioural arrestment of upwind flight and maximum spiking activity in ZS-10:OAc-specific neurones. The pheromone release rates of individual females and synthetic dispensers were compared. A load of 50-200 ng of ZS-10:OAc on a rubber septum elicited approximately the same neural response as one female gland.

• Author: Peter Valeur; Bill S Hansson; Karin Markebo; Christer Löfstedt
• Department/s: Department of Biology; Functional zoology; Pheromone Group
• Publishing year: 2000
• Language: English
• Pages: 223-232
• Publication/Series: Physiological Entomology
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 3
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3032.2000.00177.x
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Topic: Zoology; Biological Sciences
• Status: Published
• Project: Evolutionary mechanisms of pheromone divergence in Lepidoptera
• Research group: Pheromone Group
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0307-6962