A possible role of receptors in the SLIT/ROBO and NETRIN/DCC pathways in the genesis of multiple sclerosis

The medial longitudinal fascicle and the optic nerve are often affected in multiple sclerosis which causes internuclear ophthalmoplegia and optic neuritis. During prenatal development axons of both neuronal pathways are subjected to midline crossing in the central nervous system. Transmembrane receptor proteins like robos and dcc that interact with the chemorepellents and attractants slit and netrin are expressed in developing axons that cross the midline and are likely to play a role postnatally. It is hypothesized and discussed that these receptor proteins represent a specific antigen targeted by autoimmune processes in multiple sclerosis.     

小地老虎雄蛾触角感受器的扫描电镜观察

利用扫描电镜观察了小地老虎雄蛾触角感受器的种类、形态和分布.结果表明, 小地老虎雄蛾触角为双栉状(端半部为丝状),由1节柄节、1节梗节和82～92节鞭节组成.在触角上分布有毛形感器、刺形感器、鳞形感器、腔锥感器、腔形感器、 耳形感器、B(o)hm's氏鬃毛7种感受器,其中毛形感器数量最多.     

麻疯树柄细蛾触角及其感器的扫描电镜观察

应用扫描电镜对麻疯树柄细蛾Stomphastis thraustica Meyrick成虫触角的外部形态结构及其感器进行了观察和研究。结果表明,麻疯树柄细蛾成虫触角上存在着5种感器即毛形感器、刺形感器、腔椎形感器、锥形感器和鳞形感器。对各种感器的形态特点进行描述,其中毛形感器数量最多,并分为长毛形和短毛形2种。刺形感器也分为长刺形和短刺形2种。     

椰心叶甲啮小蜂触角感觉器的扫描电镜观察

应用扫描电镜(SEM)对椰心叶甲啮小蜂Tetrastichus brontispae Ferrière成虫触角感器的超微结构进行观察。结果表明,在触角上共有8种感器,分别为毛形感器、多孔板状感器、刺形感器、锥形感器、耳形感器、乳状感器、腔形感器和Bhm氏鬃毛;其中毛形感器和板形感器是主要感器,数量较多分布较广;雌雄蜂触角有明显的性二型现象,表现为雌雄触角大小不同,触角感器类型、大小、数量、分布不同。     

Antennal sensilla of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in relation to food preferences and habits

The external structure, i.e. number and distribution of sensillae on male and female antennae of 12 species of grasshoppers belonging to Pamphaginae, Catantopinae, Oedipodinae and Gomphocerinae in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Five major types of antennal sensillae were detected - trichoid, long basiconic, short basiconic, slender and short basiconic, and coeloconic sensillae. Total number of antennal sensillae varied among different sexes, subfamilies, feeding groups, life forms and eco-forms. Males showed significantly more sensillae than females, due to presence of more short basiconic and coeloconic sensillae. Species under Catantopinae showed more long basiconic sensillae than the others. The Oedipodinae had the highest number of slender and short basiconic sensillae and coeloconic sensillae, followed by Catantopinae and Gomphocerinae; while Pamphaginae had the fewest. The total number of sensillae showed the same trend for these two types amongst the subfamilies as well, species which prefer habits on the ground possessed fewer antennal sensillae than species which prefer to stay on plants. The maximal number of antennal sensillae were observed in hygrophytous species,Chorthippus albomarginatus, in the 12 grasshopper species investigated, although the data is not statistically significant. The general trend which emerged was that species feeding on grass possessed more antennal sensillae, particularly coeloconic sensillae, compared to other feeding group species.     

Dual function of Slit2 in repulsion and enhanced migration of trunk,but not vagal,neural crest cells

Neural crest precursors to the autonomic nervous system form different derivatives depending upon their axial level of origin; for example, vagal, but not trunk, neural crest cells form the enteric ganglia of the gut. Here, we show that Slit2 is expressed at the entrance of the gut, which is selectively invaded by vagal, but not trunk, neural crest. Accordingly, only trunk neural crest cells express Robo receptors. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrate that trunk, not vagal, crest cells avoid cells or cell membranes expressing Slit2, thereby contributing to the differential ability of neural crest populations to invade and innervate the gut. Conversely, exposure to soluble Slit2 significantly increases the distance traversed by trunk neural crest cells. These results suggest that Slit2 can act bifunctionally, both repulsing and stimulating the motility of trunk neural crest cells.     

Development of phenotypic differences in sensillum populations on the antennae of a grasshopper,Schistocerca americana

The development of diet-induced phenotypic differences in numbers of sensilla on the antennae of the grasshopper Schistocerca americana was studied using the exuviae produced at each molt. This made it possible to follow changes within an individual insect. In the first instar, insects had similar numbers of four sensillum types: uniporous trichoid sensilla, coeloconic sensilla, and large and small multiporous basiconic sensilla. Rearing on lettuce resulted in sixth instars with greater numbers of three sensillum types than siblings reared on an artificial diet. The first statistically significant differences between treatments in numbers of trichoid sensilla and large basiconic sensilla occurred in the third and fourth instars, respectively. No major reductions in sensillum numbers occurred at any time and the phenotypic differences resulted from differences in the numbers added at each molt.     

Processing of mechanosensory information from gustatory receptors on a hind leg of the locust

Gustatory receptors (basiconic sensilla) on the legs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, are innervated by chemosensory afferents and by a mechanosensory afferent. We show, for the first time, that these mechanosensory afferents form an elaborate detector system with the following properties: 1) they have low threshold displacement angles that decrease with increasing stimulus frequency in the range 0.05–1 Hz, 2) they respond phasically to deflections of the receptor shaft and adapt rapidly to repetitive stimulation, 3) they encode the velocity of the stimulus in their spike frequency and have velocity thresholds lower than 1°/s, and 4) they are directionally sensitive, so that stimuli moving proximally towards the coxa elicit the greatest response.The mechanosensory afferents, but not the chemosensory afferents, make apparently monosynaptic connections with spiking local interneurones in a population with somata at the ventral midline of the metathoracic ganglion. They evoke excitatory synaptic potentials that can sum to produce spikes in the spiking local interneurones. Stimulation of the single mechanosensory afferent of a gustatory receptor can also give rise to long lasting depolarizations, or to bursts of excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the interneurones that can persist for several seconds after the afferent spikes. These interneurones are part of the local circuitry involved in the production of local movements of a leg. The mechanosensory afferents from gustatory receptors must, therefore, be considered as part of the complex array of exteroceptors that provide mechanosensory information to these local circuits for use in adjusting, or controlling locomotion.     

Function of the type 11 microtrich sensilla on the lotic amphipod,Gammarus pseudolimnaeus Bousfield

The type II microtrich sensilla on the lotic amphipod Gammarus pseudolimnaeus Bousfield enable it to control body orientation while swimming, as animals with their sensilla masked spent significantly more time swimming on their sides. These sensilla appear to be involved in the behavioural process that allows the animal to orient into the current (positive rheotaxis), as significantly fewer masked animals were able to turn into novel current flows compared with controls. The sensilla do not appear to play a role in detecting gravity. Results suggest that the sensilla transmit hydromechanical sensory information to the animal, and it is thought that the individual sensilla act in unison as a kinetic sensory organ. The sensilla are well adapted for such a hydromechanical role, as they would likely only be stimulated by currents hitting them broadside on. The sensilla are grouped, with each sensillum facing in a different direction, and the groups are located at appropriate positions for detecting current flows. The sensilla do not play a role in the detection of vibrations. Nor do they play a chemosensory role in the detection of food or predators; however, a role in conspecific chemodetection cannot be ruled out.