Tuning of chemoreceptor cells of the second antenna of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) with a comparison of four of its other chemoreceptor organs

1.	We determined the spectral tuning properties of 47 chemoreceptor cells of the antenna of Homarus americanus to amino acids and other compounds. Tests with 17 single compounds at 10-4 M showed 40 of 47 cells responded best to hydroxyproline, 4 cells to taurine and 3 cells to betaine. Mean tuning breadth (H-metric) doubled with 10 fold increase in concentration.
2.	In hydroxyproline-best cells the mean threshold for hydroxyproline (Hyp) was found between 10-7 M and 10-8 M. An equimolar mixture of the 17 compounds generated a shallower stimulus-response function with thresholds similar to Hyp function (mixture suppression). Hyp-best cells were relatively narrowly tuned, often with arginine or leucine as second best stimuli.
3.	Thus, physiologically the second antenna of H. americanus is a major chemoreceptor organ. It is more than any of the 5 chemoreceptor organs studied so far dominated by a single best-cell type (Hyp). Receptor cell composition of antennae resembles that of antennules more than legs or maxillipeds. Hyp-best cells in antennae and lateral antennules have similar tuning spectra.
4.	Our cell tuning studies argue for independent receptors for all amino acids tested. We conclude that diversity of receptor cell tuning is created by cell-specific blends of receptors. At the organ level, differences in organ tuning result from different blends of receptor cells.