title: Differential Odour Coding of Isotopomers in the Honeybee Brain.
abstract: The shape recognition model of olfaction maintains that odorant reception probes physicochemical properties such as size, shape, electric charge, and hydrophobicity of the ligand. Recently, insects were shown to distinguish common from deuterated isotopomers of the same odorant, suggesting the involvement of other molecular properties to odorant reception. Via two-photon functional microscopy we investigated how common and deuterated isoforms of natural odorants are coded within the honeybee brain. Our results provide evidence that (i) different isotopomers generate different neuronal activation maps, (ii) isotopomer sensitivity is a general mechanism common to multiple odorant receptors, and (iii) isotopomer specificity is highly consistent across individuals. This indicates that honeybee's olfactory system discriminates between isotopomers of the same odorant, suggesting that other features, such as molecular vibrations, may contribute to odour signal transduction.
authors.affiliation: University of Trento, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, Rovereto, 38068, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.affiliation: University of Trento, Department of Physics, Trento, 38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anesi
authors.affiliation: University of Trento, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, Rovereto, 38068, Italy.|University of Trento, Department of Physics, Trento, 38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antolini
authors.affiliation: University of Trento, Department of Physics, Trento, 38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guella
authors.affiliation: University of Trento, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, Rovereto, 38068, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vallortigara
authors.affiliation: University of Trento, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, Rovereto, 38068, Italy.|University of Trento, Department of Physics, Trento, 38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haase
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003903:Deuterium / Q000494:pharmacology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism*; D000442:Octanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D009812:Odorants; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism*; D012903:Smell
chemical_list: D001547:Benzaldehydes; D019476:Insect Proteins; D000442:Octanols; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; D003903:Deuterium; C032175:benzaldehyde