Response of American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) olfactory receptors to selected alcohol odorants and their binary combinations

The cockroach is known to possess several morphologically distinct types of sensilla on its antenna, each of which contain a couple or a few receptor cells that respond to an array of compounds. We recorded the response of cells exclusively from one type of sensillum to evaluate the variation in the response of the cells in these sensilla to three closely related alcohols and their binary mixtures. Our results indicate that cells within the class of those responsive to aliphatic alcohols are otherwise variable in their response to particular aliphatic alcohols and not easily classifiable into subclasses. They also indicate that patterns of responses among cells are not robust with respect to concentration. Finally, a considerable level of inhibition is indicated in the response of the receptor cells to binary mixtures compared with the response to pure odorants. The data suggest that discrimination of alcohols (and other odorants of general but not special significance) by the cockroach cannot be understood simply in terms of labeled lines or linear filters.