Odorant response of individual sensilla on theDrosophila antenna (original) (raw)

Abstract

We have documented odor responses of all morphological classes of sensilla on the surface of the_Drosophila_ antenna: sensilla basiconica, sensilla trichodea, and sensilla coeloconica. Both subtypes of s. basiconica, large and small, respond to odors. S. trichodea fall into different functional types. Type 1 appears narrowly tuned, as it responded only to_cis_-vaccenyl acetate, believed to be a pheromone. Type 2 responded to_trans_-2-hexenal and 4-methyl cyclohexanol. These two types of s. trichodea are differentially distributed on the antennal surface, and have dramatically different frequencies of spontaneous action potentials. Likewise, there are multiple types of s. coeloconica. One type is broadly tuned, responding most strongly to a test stimulus of butyric acid, but also to a variety of other odors; it is restricted to the dorso-medial portion of the third antennal segment. A second type gave detectable responses only to_trans_-2-hexenal. These results demonstrate that all classes of sensilla are olfactory, and they reveal the organizational complexity of the_Drosophila_ olfactory system.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Biology, Yale University, 06520-8103, New Haven, CT, USA
   Peter Clyne & John R. Carlson
2. Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research, 222 Maple Avenue, 01545, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
   Alan Grant & Robert O'Connell

Authors

1. Peter Clyne
2. Alan Grant
3. Robert O'Connell
4. John R. Carlson

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Correspondence toJohn R. Carlson.

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Clyne, P., Grant, A., O'Connell, R. et al. Odorant response of individual sensilla on the_Drosophila_ antenna.Invertebrate Neuroscience 3, 127–135 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02480367

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• Accepted: 03 April 1998
• Issue date: September 1997
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02480367

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