Abstract
Insect olfaction is a suitable model to investigate sensory processing in the brain. Olfactory information is first processed in the antennal lobe and is then conveyed to two second-order centres—the mushroom body calyx and the lateral protocerebrum. Projection neurons processing sex pheromones and plant odours supply the delta area of the inferior lateral protocerebrum (∆ILPC) and lateral horn (LH), respectively. Here, we investigated the neurons arising from these regions in the brain of the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, using mass staining and intracellular recording with a sharp glass microelectrode. The output neurons from the ∆ILPC projected to the superior medial protocerebrum, whereas those from the LH projected to the superior lateral protocerebrum. The dendritic innervations of output neurons from the ∆ILPC formed a subdivision in the ∆ILPC. We discuss pathways for odour processing in higher order centres.
Highlights
Owing to its relative simplicity compared with vertebrates, insect olfaction is a suitable model to investigate sensory processing in the nervous system
In an earlier study using B. mori, we reported that projection neurons (PNs) processing major pheromone components send their axons to the ∆ILPC2,14, which is in turn connected with a higher order centre, the superior medial protocerebrum (SMP)[15]
We have reported that the dye injection in the medial portion of the ∆ILPC labels the SMP on both sides and the ∆ILPC on the contralateral side[15] (Fig. 1)
Summary
(Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), were reared in the laboratory. The larvae of moths were reared from eggs in the laboratory on an artificial diet (Silk Mate 2S; Nosan Bio Department, Yokohama, Japan) at 26 °C and 60% relative humidity under a 16 h light/8 h dark photoperiod. Moths were used within 2–7 days after eclosion
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