title: Sensory biology. Flower discrimination by pollinators in a dynamic chemical environment.
abstract: Pollinators use their sense of smell to locate flowers from long distances, but little is known about how they are able to discriminate their target odor from a mélange of other natural and anthropogenic odors. Here, we measured the plume from Datura wrightii flowers, a nectar resource for Manduca sexta moths, and show that the scent was dynamic and rapidly embedded among background odors. The moth's ability to track the odor was dependent on the background and odor frequency. By influencing the balance of excitation and inhibition in the antennal lobe, background odors altered the neuronal representation of the target odor and the ability of the moth to track the plume. These results show that the mix of odors present in the environment influences the pollinator's olfactory ability.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA. jriffell@u.washington.edu.
authors: Jeffrey A
authors: JA
authors: Riffell
authors: Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-3925, USA.
authors: Eli
authors: E
authors: Shlizerman
authors: Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA.
authors: Elischa
authors: E
authors: Sanders
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, AZ 85721-0077, USA.
authors: Leif
authors: L
authors: Abrell
authors: Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA.
authors: Billie
authors: B
authors: Medina
authors: Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA.
authors: Armin J
authors: AJ
authors: Hinterwirth
authors: Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-3925, USA.
authors: J Nathan
authors: JN
authors: Kutz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057506:Arthropod Antennae / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D032302:Datura / Q000502:physiology*; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005426:Flight, Animal; D035264:Flowers / Q000502:physiology*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018402:Manduca / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009812:Odorants; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D055696:Olfactory Perception; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D057048:Plant Nectar; D054817:Pollination; D012903:Smell; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
chemical_list: D057048:Plant Nectar; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds