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The physiology of an olfactory sensillum of the termite Schedorhinotermes lamanianus: carbon dioxide as a modulator of olfactory sensitivity

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Abstract

There are three morphological types of wall-pore single-walled sensilla on the antennae of Schedorhinotermes lamanianus workers. Among these, the sensilla of the type SW1 always bear two neurons that are distinguishable by their impulse amplitudes in electrophysiological recordings. Both neurons are odour-sensitive and respond with excitation to an equally narrow and strikingly congruent spectrum of odours. 1-Pentanol, 1-hexanol and 2-hexanol cause maximum excitation in both cells. In addition one cell responds to CO2. Short pulses of CO2 up to 3 s duration inhibit this cell totally. The duration of total inhibition increases with the logarithm of the CO2-concentration between 0.06% and 100%. Pulses of CO2 with concentrations above 0.15% cause an inhibition that lasts longer than the period of stimulation. Prolonged CO2 -stimuli (> 300 s) with a concentration between 0.5% and 5% CO2 initially cause total inhibition. However, after 1 to 5 min, activity reappears and reaches a new constant but dose-dependent frequency. None of the stimulatory odours leads to a response in the cell when applied together with CO2. The sensitivity to odours of this one cell type is “switched off” by CO2, whilst CO2 does not influence the other neuron in the same sensillum. The CO2-concentration, (high in the centres of termite nests, low outside the nests) may give important information about the context in which an individual receives a signal. The described modulation of odoursensitivity by CO2 allows the presentation of two hypothetical mechanisms of context-dependent signal interpretation.

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  1. J. Ziesmann

    Present address: Department of Biological and Ecological Chemistry, IACR-Rothamsted, AL5 2JQ, Harpenden, Herts., UK

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  1. LS Tierphysiologie, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    J. Ziesmann

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Ziesmann, J. The physiology of an olfactory sensillum of the termite Schedorhinotermes lamanianus: carbon dioxide as a modulator of olfactory sensitivity. J Comp Physiol A 179, 123–133 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193440

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