Morphological and Electrophysiological Characteristics of Insect Sensilla

Abstract

Using electron microscopy, measurement of electrical resistance of sensilla cuticular cover, and patch-clamp we studied morphological and electrophysiological characteristics of antennal basiconic and trichoid sensilla in flour-beetles Tenebrio molitor L., Tribolium confvisum Dur. and silk moth Antheraea pernyi L. There are basiconic sensilla with large apical pore, poreless basiconic sensilla with top pegs and trichoid sensilla without pore and internal cavity on the antenna of flour-beetles. Very long olfactory sensilla with sidewall pores are on the moth antenna. Our data for sensilla electrical resistance add and confirm the results of electron microscopical investigations. Patch-clamp was shown to be suitable for extracellular recording of whole-cell and single channel currents from dendrites of sensillar receptor cells. Using ion channel blockers we investigated ionic conductance of two types of basiconic sensilla of flour-beetles and olfactory sensilla of moth. Potassium and chloride dominate in ion conductance of these sensilla.