Evidence for electrostatic enhancement of odor receptor function by worker honeybee antennae.

ABSTRACT

Pore plates (placoid chemosensillae) on the antennae of dead worker honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) apparently retained a static electric charge that was significantly different from that of the surrounding cuticle. Residual charge resulted in the concentration of airborne particulate matter over the rim of exposed pore plates to the virtual exclusion of such deposition on surrounding cuticle. Postmortem integrity of polar lipids associated with the pore plate and adjacent sense cells is hypothesized as the source of the static potential. Such a lipoidal matrix, if functioning as an electret and if attracting odorous molecules to receptor cells from outside the odor stream of individual receptors, would greatly enhance receptor efficiency of living bees.