Behavioral and chemosensory responses to a host recognition cue by larvae of Pieris rapae.
J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol
; 191(2): 147-55, 2005 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15711970
ABSTRACT
Larvae of the cabbage white Pieris rapae are specialists on plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae). Adult females have been shown to use the glucosinolate gluconasturtiin (phenylethylglucosinolate) as a recognition cue for cruciferous plants, so they can identify an appropriate host for oviposition (Huang and Renwick in J Chem Ecol 201025-1037, 1994). Here, we report our results from a study of the role of this glucosinolate in feeding preferences of P. rapae larvae. The larvae were allowed to choose between leaf disks from the non-host cowpea Vigna sinensis (Fabaceae) that were treated with pure gluconasturtiin in solvent, or solvent alone. Our results showed that gluconasturtiin is a feeding stimulant for P. rapae larvae. A series of chemosensory ablations revealed that this response is mediated by one set of taste sensilla, the sensilla styloconica. Electrophysiological tip recordings revealed two neurons in the lateral sensillum styloconicum that are sensitive to gluconasturtiin. These neurons show significantly higher firing frequencies with 4 mM gluconasturtiin added to the recording pipette than for recording solution alone. We propose that the sensitivity to gluconasturtiin shown by these two taste neurons is an important contributor to the animals' behavioral preference for this compound.
Buscar no Google
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Órgãos dos Sentidos
/
Paladar
/
Borboletas
/
Células Quimiorreceptoras
/
Comportamento Alimentar
/
Glucosinolatos
/
Neurônios
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol
Assunto da revista:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
/
FISIOLOGIA
/
NEUROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2005
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos