Variability of olfactory receptor neuron responses of female silkmoths (Bombyx mori L) to benzoic acid and (+/-)-linalool

Of the two sensory neurons present in each sensillum trichodeum on antennae of female silkmoths, Bombyx mori, one was activated by stimulation with benzoic acid (benzoic acid cell), the other with (+/-)-linalool (terpene cell), Using single-cell recordings we studied the temporal characteristics of the nerve impulse response of both cell types, The time course of the impulse response was shown to be an intrinsic property of both cell types and not caused by stimulus artifacts, For benzoic acid cells this was a tonic pattern with a slow decrease of impulse activity after the end of stimulation or a phasic-tonic pattern with a rapid decrease of activity, At higher stimulus intensities the benzoic acid cells usually changed to a more phasic-tonic response, Terpene cells generally responded in a phasic manner generating impulses mainly during the beginning of stimulations, In addition to finding different temporal response patterns, variations of responses are described for each cell type, The responses of benzoic acid cells could not be divided into groups according to the strength of impulse response or temporal characteristics. The dose-response curves of both cell types increased over three decades of stimulus load; they varied by less than one decade in the stimulus load causing half-maximal amplitude. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd