Summary
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1.
We determined the spectral tuning properties of 47 chemoreceptor cells of the antenna of Homarus americanus to amino acids and other compounds. Tests with 17 single compounds at 10-4 M showed 40 of 47 cells responded best to hydroxyproline, 4 cells to taurine and 3 cells to betaine. Mean tuning breadth (H-metric) doubled with 10 fold increase in concentration.
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2.
In hydroxyproline-best cells the mean threshold for hydroxyproline (Hyp) was found between 10-7 M and 10-8 M. An equimolar mixture of the 17 compounds generated a shallower stimulus-response function with thresholds similar to Hyp function (mixture suppression). Hyp-best cells were relatively narrowly tuned, often with arginine or leucine as second best stimuli.
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3.
Thus, physiologically the second antenna of H. americanus is a major chemoreceptor organ. It is more than any of the 5 chemoreceptor organs studied so far dominated by a single best-cell type (Hyp). Receptor cell composition of antennae resembles that of antennules more than legs or maxillipeds. Hyp-best cells in antennae and lateral antennules have similar tuning spectra.
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4.
Our cell tuning studies argue for independent receptors for all amino acids tested. We conclude that diversity of receptor cell tuning is created by cell-specific blends of receptors. At the organ level, differences in organ tuning result from different blends of receptor cells.
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Voigt, R., Atema, J. Tuning of chemoreceptor cells of the second antenna of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) with a comparison of four of its other chemoreceptor organs. J Comp Physiol A 171, 673–683 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00194115
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00194115