Response Properties of Chemoreceptors from the Medial Antennular Filament of the Lobster Homarus americanus

¹ Boston University Marine Program, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543

We determined the spectral tuning properties of 53 single cells from the medial antennular filament of the lobster Homarus americanus. Test stimuli were 15 single compounds and a mixture that included all 15 test compounds. Three main cell populations were found: hydroxyproline best (14 cells), taurine best (13 cells), and arginine best (11 cells). Most hydroxyproline and taurine best cells were narrowly tuned and had no consistent next best stimulus. In contrast, arginine best cells were generally broadly tuned and had consistent second (leucine) and third (lysine) best stimuli. Mixture suppression occurred in most cells. Responses of hydroxyproline, taurine, and arginine best cells to the mixture were 25%, 38%, and 50%, respectively, relative to the responses of these cells to their best compound alone (100%). In a second experiment, we tested 12 arginine sensitive cells with a series of arginine analogs. Most cells were broadly tuned and as a population showed a similar response ratio to arginine, leucine, and lysine.

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