Structural and functional properties of the mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors in the anterior oesophageal sensilla of the crayfish, Astacus astacus

Summary

The anterior oesophageal sensilla (AOS) of Astacus astacus are short cuticular cylinders with a terminal pore. Three sensory cells belong to each AOS, two of them having a dendritic ciliary segment of about 2 μm length (A-cells), the third having this segment about 12 μm long (B-cell). The ciliary A-tubules in the B-cells only possess arms and an electron-dense core. The dendritic inner segments of the A-cells terminate 3–6 μm distal of the B-cells. The dendritic tips of most A-cells are connected by desmosomes. All dendritic inner segments contain a ciliary rootlet and are accompanied by a scolopale within the innermost enveloping cell. There are four enveloping cells, three of which form thin subepithelial columns together with the enclosed sensory cells. Recordings from the posterior branch of the anterior oesophageal nerve containing the axons of the AOS revealed the presence of three types of sensory cells, two being chemosensitive and one mechanosensitive. One chemoreceptor is specifically sensitive to nicotinamide, but responded also to β-NAD, 6-aminonicotinamide, nicotinamide methyl esther and nicotin. It was blocked by p(4)-acetylpyridine. The second chemoreceptor responded only to crayfish gastric fluid. The mechanoreceptors reacted to stretch of the oesophageal wall adapting only slowly to maintained stimuli. It is assumed that the A-cells are the chemosensitive cells and the B-cells the mechanosensitive ones. The latter show only a small number of modality-specific characteristics. Several structural features appear to be correlated with the location of the AOS within a flexible surface, which undergoes considerable dilation.