title: Functional characteristics of a tiny but specialized olfactory system: olfactory receptor neurons of carrot psyllids (Homoptera: Triozidae).
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Protection Biology, Chemical Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, SE-23053 Alnarp, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kristoffersen
authors.forename: Mattias C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Anderbrant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018552:Daucus carota / Q000469:parasitology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts