Morphology and distribution of ovipositor sensilla of female cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and evidence for gustatory function

The ovipositor of Spodoptera littoralis has many sensilla, which implies a distinct sensory function of this organ in the assessment of the egg laying substrates and placement of eggs. The ovipositor is composed of two papillae densely packed with sensilla. Scanning electron microscopy showed that there are four categories of sensilla chaetica (s. chaetica), characterized based on differences in distribution, length and morphology, distributed on each papilla: Type I with 69 ± 2.9 sensilla on each papilla (length: 29–163 μm) distributed at the base; Type II with 19 ± 1.8 sensilla (length: 287–446 μm) distributed medially; Type III with 120 ± 7.8 sensilla (length: 62–156 μm) distributed distally; and Type IV 8 ± 0.9 sensilla (length: 72–91 μm) scattered between Type III sensilla. The structure of s. chaetica Types I–III suggests a mechanosensory function, whereas electrophysiological analysis of s. chaetica Type IV showed responses from four gustatory neurons and one mechanosensory neuron. Of the chemoreceptive neurons, one responded to salt, one to the secondary compound caffeine, one to sugars, mainly sucrose and fructose, and lastly one potentially to water. Behavioral studies are needed to verify the role of these sensilla during choice of oviposition site.     

Systems of chemoperception in Decapod crayfish

The review presents data on some peripheral and central structures in the system of perception of chemical stimuli in crayfish and other Decapoda. The hair receptors on chelipeds, antennas, and antennules are innervated by mechano- and chemoreceptor neurons. Antennules are crayfish specialized chemoreceptor organs whose surface contains groups of exteroceptors. On claws of ambulatory feet (AF), antennas, antennules, and other mobile appendages there is a regular disposition of exteroceptor receptive fields in the form of receptor hair bushes. Behavioral experiments have shown sensitivity of crayfish to odor of individuals of their gender and sex partners as well as the presence in crayfish of pheromones providing connection of female with offspring at the initial stages of their life cycle. Individual chemosensory cells innervating hair bushes on the crayfish AF respond to amino acids, amines, nucleotides, and sugars. Minimal thresholds of reaction of the studied Decapoda chemoreceptors in response to some chemical compounds correspond to 0.1–1.0 μM. For some chemoreceptors, dose-dependent effects have been shown. Alongside with monomodal chemoreceptors, the crayfish have bimodal receptors perceiving mechanical and chemical stimuli. The efficient response of crayfish chemoreceptors can be obtained to the substance that has amino group with hydrogen bridge to carboxyl group, contains no more that 3 carbon atoms in the chain, is characterized by a certain stereoform. Among chemoreceptors there are fast and slow adapting cells. Efficiency of response of individual chemoreceptors depends on temperature of medium. In crayfish, chemoreceptors responding to ecdysterons have been revealed. Ecdysterons play a great role in intra- and inter-species communications in Crustacea. Based on the study of efferent responses of interneurons of the first and higher orders in the first thoracic crayfish ganglion to stimulation of the own receptive fields, a concept has been put forward of the structural-functional organization of afferent projections at the segmental level. Peculiarities of afferent projections from antennule chemoreceptors are considered. The data are presented on connections of these chemoreceptors with antennular, olfactory, and accessory lobules, various cell groups, interneurons of the first, second, and third orders located in various brain parts. An attention has been drawn to connections of serotonin neurons in glomeruli with endings of chemoreceptor neurons and projections of interneurons of the higher orders, which are located in the internal medulla of the crayfish eyestalks. Several principles of integration of the chemoreceptor information in central parts of the crayfish nervous system are discussed. The giant serotonin neurons revealed in crayfish glomeruli most likely participate in formation of memory to certain chemical actions. Polymodal receptor signals in the central chain of the perception system activate autonomic centers, and the changes of the animal functional state can be evaluated from the heart responses. These responses recorded by novel noninvasive methods allow detection of the initial and other phases of the stress state at changes of the medium chemical quality. Progress of the current biochemical and electrophysiological methods of study chemoreceptors allow hoping for learning of fine chemoperception mechanisms in invertebrate and vertebrate animals.     

神经节内板状末梢是豚鼠食道迷走传入神经末梢的机械敏感性受体

电生理学研究发现迷走传入神经在胃肠道的特有结构——神经节内板状末梢(intraganglionic laminar endings,IGLEs)具有感受机械刺激的功能,推断其为迷走神经机械敏感性受体。但是电生理学方法不能将IGLEs的特异结构与其感受机械刺激的功能同时显示出来,而且IGLEs作为机械敏感性受体,其传导机械刺激的机制尚不清楚。本研究应用活性依赖性荧光染料 FM1-43结合牵拉刺激豚鼠食道显示激活的IGLEs结构,以期观察IGLEs是否对机械刺激敏感。同时用多种药物阻断或促进豚鼠食道IGLEs的激活以探讨IGLEs传导机械刺激的机制。应用神经顺行标记技术以验证FM1-43显示的特异结构是否为IGLEs。结果表明,牵拉刺激结合FM1-43染色显示的结构与神经顺行标记法一致,牵拉刺激组激活的IGLEs数目明显多于未牵拉组 [(90．4±9．5)％vs(10．7±2．1)％,P<0．05]。IGLEs对牵拉刺激的敏感性,表明IGLEs是迷走传入神经在胃肠道内感受机械刺激的受体。TTX,阿托品和钙离子对牵拉刺激激活IGLEs无明显影响,表明IGLEs对机械刺激的传导不需要神经递质以及动作电位的传导,而是直接通过机械门控离子通道实现的。多种TRP通道阻断剂包括SKF,gadolinium对IGLEs的激活无影响,而上皮钠离子通道阻断剂benzamil可以明显阻断IGLEs的激活,因此推断,IGLEs结构中传导机械刺激的离子通道可能属于上皮钠离子通道家族而非电压门控钠离子通道或TRP通道。     

Vibrotactile thresholds at the sole of the foot: Effect of vibration frequency and contact location

Studies of vibration perception in the glabrous skin of the human hand have identified four mechanoreceptor channels, with each channel showing characteristic variations in thresholds with variations in the frequency of vibration and the area of vibration excitation. To advance understanding of the channels mediating vibration perception on the sole of the foot, this study determined how thresholds depend on the frequency of vibration, the location on the foot (the big toe, the ball of the foot, and the heel), and the gap between a vibrating probe and a fixed surround. Thresholds at the three locations were obtained at the 12 preferred one-third octave centre frequencies from 20 to 250?Hz using a 6-mm diameter probe with both a 10-mm and a 20-mm diameter surround. With the 10-mm surround, the displacement thresholds at all three locations showed flat responses from 20 to 40?Hz. With both the 10-mm and the 20-mm surround, the displacement thresholds at the three locations showed “U-shaped” responses from 40 to 250?Hz. Relative to thresholds obtained with the 20-mm surround, thresholds obtained with the 10-mm surround were lower at the toe and the heel with 20- and 25-Hz vibration, but higher at the ball of the foot with 31.5- to 250-Hz vibration. It is concluded that absolute thresholds for the perception of vibration at the sole of the foot show important variations with location and with contact conditions and tend to be mediated by the NP I channel in the range from about 20 to 40?Hz and the P channel from about 40 to 250?Hz.     

Touch inhibits touch: sanshool-induced paradoxical tingling reveals perceptual interaction between somatosensory submodalities

Human perception of touch is mediated by inputs from multiple channels. Classical theories postulate independent contributions of each channel to each tactile feature, with little or no interaction between channels. In contrast to this view, we show that inputs from two sub-modalities of mechanical input channels interact to determine tactile perception. The flutter-range vibration channel was activated anomalously using hydroxy-α-sanshool, a bioactive compound of Szechuan pepper, which chemically induces vibration-like tingling sensations. We tested whether this tingling sensation on the lips was modulated by sustained mechanical pressure. Across four experiments, we show that sustained touch inhibits sanshool tingling sensations in a location-specific, pressure-level and time-dependent manner. Additional experiments ruled out the mediation of this interaction by nociceptive or affective (C-tactile) channels. These results reveal novel inhibitory influence from steady pressure onto flutter-range tactile perceptual channels, consistent with early-stage interactions between mechanoreceptor inputs within the somatosensory pathway.     

Localization and distribution of laminin in the basal lamina of certain mechanoreceptors—an immunogold study

The applied immunogold cytochemical technique in investigating the cytologic distribution of the laminin (LAM) molecule in the capsulated Pacinian and Herbst mechanoreceptors shows the presence of LAM around most elements of the receptor structures. The LAM immunoreactivity (LAM-IR) is best expressed in the vicinity of the perineural capsule cells of both receptor types, where it is primarily concentrated around the perinuclear regions as well as the cytoplasmic lamellae. Such a localization overlaps with the already known ultrastructural localization of a basal lamina (BL) around these cells. Laminin immunoreactivity is less well expressed around the modified Schwann cells. Even in these cells, however, there is an apparent immunoreaction around the cytoplasmic lamellae regardless of the lamellar location. In both receptor types, there is no LAM-IR in the cells of the subcapsular space. Of particular significance we consider the localization of gold particles (respectively the presence of a BL) between the innermost lamellae of the modified Schwann cells and the non-myelinated part of the receptor nerve fiber and their endings, as well as around the axoplasmic protrusions of the nerve endings. We discuss the role of the BL and LAM in the investigated rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors and their trophic influence upon the sensory regions. We also assume the arresting and selective effect of these membranes in building up the ion channels of the axolemma which probably has a certain importance in mechanotransduction.     

Mesenteric and tactile Pacinian corpuscles are anatomically and physiologically comparable

Pacinian corpuscles (PCs) in cat mesentery have been studied extensively to help determine the structural and functional bases of tactile mechanotransduction. Although we, like many other investigators, have found that the mesenteric receptors are anatomically very similar to those found in mammalian skin, few physiological characteristics of the mesenteric PCs and those of the skin have been compared. Action-potential rate-amplitude and frequency characteristics (10 Hz–1 KHz), as well as interval (IH) and peri-stimulus-time (PSTH) histograms in response to sinusoidal displacements were obtained from nerve fibers innervating mesenteric PCs and from PC fibers innervating cat glabrous skin. The intensity characteristics obtained on both preparations showed similar response profiles, including equal slopes for low stimulus intensities (approximately 10, with impulse ratios/20 dB displacement) and one and two impulse/cycle entrainment. The frequency characteristics of both groups were U-shaped with similar low-frequency slopes (?12.5 dB/octave) and bandwidths (Q_3dB = 1.4). The best frequency for both the tactile PCs' and mesenteric PCs was 250 Hz, which is in the expected range. The IHs showed entrainment and the PSTHs showed neither transient responses nor adaptation to steady-state sinusoidal stimuli. The functional similarity between mesenteric PCs' nerve responses and those of tactile PC afferents, as well as the receptors’ anatomical similarity, lead us to suggest that the mesenteric PC can act as a model for those in the skin. Furthermore, since the frequency characteristics of the two PC types are similar, it is concluded that the skin, while attenuating stimulus intensity, does not impart temporal filtering of vibratory stimuli.     

The Corticocuneate Pathway in the Cat: Relations among Terminal Distribution Patterns,Cytoarchitecture, and Single Neuron Functional Properties

A combined anatomical and physiological strategy was used to investigate the organization of the corticocuneate pathway in the cat. The distribution of the corticocuneate projection was mapped by means of the anterograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeling technique and correlated with the nuclear cytoarchitecture in Nissl and Golgi material, the distribution of retrogradely labeled relay cells after HRP injections in the ventrobasal complex of the thalamus, and the topographic organization derived from single-and multiunit recordings in the decerebrate, unanesthetized cat. This approach provided details about the arrangement of the corticocuneate pathway that were not available from previous studies with anterograde degeneration methods.

On the basis of cytoarchitectonic and connectional features, a number of subdivisions are identified in the cuneate nucleus, each of which is associated with characteristic functional properties. In agreement with previous studies, it is found that a large portion of the cuneate nucleus, the middle dorsal part (MCd), is exclusively devoted to the representation of cutaneous receptive fields on the digits. This “core” region contains more thalamic projecting neurons than any other subdivision of the cuneate nucleus. A topographic arrangement also exists in the subdivisions of the rostral cuneate and of the nuclear region ventral to MCd, although in these, receptive fields are larger and predominantly, but not exclusively, related to deep receptors and involve the arm, shoulder, and trunk.

Observations on corticocuneate projections were based on injections, mainly focused on functional subdivisions of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) as described by McKenna et al (1981). Although cortical projections are mainly to cuneate regions other than its core, a significant proportion of fibers from the region of SI where the digits are represented (particularly area 3b) do project to the MCd region of the cuneate nucleus. Similarly, nuclear areas associated with receptive fields on the arm and trunk are labeled after injection in SI arm and trunk regions, respectively. Thus, a close topographic relationship appears to exist between the somatosensory cortex and cuneate regions related to the same body representation, although nuclear regions in which receptive fields on the neck area are represented receive very sparse or no detectable cortical projections even when the injection of the tracer involves the entire sensorimotor cortex. The topographic arrangement of SI projections upon the cuneate nucleus suggests that a similar pattern exists in both structures with regard to the relative representations of distal versus proximal and deep versus cutaneous receptive fields (e.g., “core” vs. “shell” organization), and that cuneate regions preferentially related to either of these classes of receptive fields receive direct connections from the corresponding regions in SI.

A comparison of the results from cats with tracer injections in areas 4 and 3b reveals that the projections from the former is denser than that arising from the latter and that their territories of termination largely overlap in the ventral portions of the cuneate nucleus. However, cortical projections to MCd may be derived from the somatosensory cortex with no contribution from area 4. The demonstration of the relative selectivity of cortical projections from different cytoarchitectonic and functional cortical areas to cuneate regions identified here provides a structural basis for the elucidation of the physiological and behavioral observations, particularly on cortical modulation of somatosensory transmission during movements.