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Physiology and morphology of descending neurons in pheromone-processing olfactory pathways in the male moth Manduca sexta

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Summary

  1. 1.

    We have characterized the responses and structure of olfactory descending neurons (DNs) that reside in the protocerebrum (PC) of the brain of male sphinx moths Manduca sexta and project toward thoracic ganglia.

  2. 2.

    Excitatory responses of DNs to pheromone blends were of two general types: (a) brief excitation (BE) that recovered to background in <1 s after the stimulus, and (b) long-lasting excitation (LLE) that outlasted the stimulus by ≥1 s and, in many cases, as long as 30 s. Individual pheromone components were ineffective in eliciting LLE.

  3. 3.

    Some neurons showing LLE also exhibited state-dependent responses to pheromonal stimuli. When such neurons were in a state of low background firing, stimulation with pheromone blend elicited LLE. When they were in a state of LLE, an identical stimulus reduced firing for 5–10 s after which firing gradually increased to the initial higher level.

  4. 4.

    Thirteen stained DNs were reconstructed from serial sections for detailed analysis of their morphology in the brain. DNs exhibiting LLE had neurites concentrated in the lateral accessory lobes (LALs) in the protocerebrum and adjacent neuropil. Most DNs exhibiting only BE to pheromonal stimuli and other DNs showing responses only to visual or mechanosensory stimuli did not have branches in the LALs.

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Abbreviations

AL :

antennal lobe

aL α :

lobe of the mushroom body

AMMC :

antennal motor and mechanosensory center

BE :

brief excitation

bL β :

lobe of the mushroom body

Ca :

primary calyces of the mushroom body

CB :

central body

DN :

descending neuron

FE :

female equivalent

IACT :

inner antenno-cerebral tract

L :

lateral

LAL :

lateral accessory lobe

LLE :

long-lasting excitation

MB :

mushroom body

OACT :

uter antenno-cerebral tract

Oe :

oesophageal foramen

P :

pedunculus

PC :

protocerebrum

PCN :

protocerebral neuron

SOG :

suboesophageal ganglion

LY :

Lucifer Yellow CH

TES :

N-trishydroxymethyl]methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid

VNC :

ventral nerve cord

YL :

Y-lobe of the mushroom body

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona Research Laboratories, Division of Neurobiology, University of Arizona, 85721, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Ryohei Kanzaki, Edmund A. Arbas & John G. Hildebrand

Authors
  1. Ryohei Kanzaki
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  2. Edmund A. Arbas
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  3. John G. Hildebrand
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Kanzaki, R., Arbas, E.A. & Hildebrand, J.G. Physiology and morphology of descending neurons in pheromone-processing olfactory pathways in the male moth Manduca sexta . J Comp Physiol A 169, 1–14 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198168

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