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Chem Senses

Title:		Dummies versus air puffs: efficient stimulus delivery for low-volatile odors
Author(s):		Brandstaetter AS; Rossler W; Kleineidam CJ;
Address:		"Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Wurzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wurzburg, Germany. brandstaetter@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de"
Journal Title:		Chem Senses
Year:		2010
Volume:		20100308
Issue:		4
Page Number:		323 - 333
DOI:		10.1093/chemse/bjq022
ISSN/ISBN:		1464-3553 (Electronic) 0379-864X (Linking)
Abstract:		"Aiming to unravel how animals perceive odors, a variety of neurophysiological techniques are used today. For olfactory stimulation, odors are commonly incorporated into a constant airstream that carries odor molecules to the receptor organ (air-delivered stimulation). Such odor delivery works well for odors of high volatility (naturally effective over long distances) but less or not at all for low-volatile odors (usually only received at short range). We developed a new odor stimulation technique especially suited for low-volatile odors and compared it with conventional air-delivered stimulation using 2 neurophysiological approaches. Odor-loaded dummies were moved into close vicinity of the receptor organs on the antenna of the Florida carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus (dummy-delivered stimulation). Neuronal activity was monitored either at receptor neuron level using electroantennography or in the first olfactory neuropile, the antennal lobes, using calcium imaging. We tested 3 odors of different volatility: C. floridanus' highly volatile alarm pheromone undecane, its low-volatile trail pheromone nerolic acid, and an even less volatile, behaviorally active C23 alkene, cis-9-tricosene. For low-volatile odors, dummy-delivered stimulation was particularly efficient. We conclude that dummy-delivered stimulation is advantageous compared to the commonly used air-delivered stimulation when studying an animal's detection and processing of low-volatile odors"
Keywords:		"Air Alkanes/chemistry/pharmacology Animals Ants/physiology Calcium/metabolism Manikins Neurons/physiology *Odorants Receptors, Odorant/physiology Smell/physiology Stimulation, Chemical Volatilization;"
Notes:		"MedlineBrandstaetter, Andreas Simon Rossler, Wolfgang Kleineidam, Christoph Johannes eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2010/03/10 Chem Senses. 2010 May; 35(4):323-33. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjq022. Epub 2010 Mar 8"