Extreme miniaturization implies a high degree of optimization, rendering the retention non-functional organs almost impossible. Two unique non-porous placoid sensilla on antennae females Megaphragma were described in literature. Placoid Hymenoptera have an olfactory function and always bear pores; apparent absence pores therefore raises questions whether such are functional their surface sculpt...

BACKGROUND Insects detect a multitude of odors using a broad array of phenotypically distinct olfactory organs referred to as olfactory sensilla. Each sensillum contains one to several sensory neurons and at least three support cells; these cells arise from mitotic activities from one or a small group of defined precursor cells. Sensilla phenotypes are defined by distinct morphologies, and spec...

Olfactory lamellae of teleosts contain two morphologically different types of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs): ciliated ORNs (cORNs) and microvillous ORNs (mORNs). However, little is known about the functional difference between these two types of ORNs in fish olfaction. We isolated cORNs and mORNs using a Ca(2+)-free solution method from olfactory organs of the rainbow trout and examined the...

Dendrolimus punctatus Walker is a serious pest affecting conifers in southern China. As extensive pesticide spraying is currently required to control D. punctatus, new control strategies are urgently needed. Chemosensory genes represent potential molecular targets for development of alternative pest control strategies, and the expression characteristics of these genes provide an indication of t...

BACKGROUND Nipah virus causes respiratory and neurologic disease with case fatality rates up to 100% in individual outbreaks. End stage lesions have been described in the respiratory and nervous systems, vasculature and often lymphoid organs in fatal human cases; however, the initial target organs of Nipah virus infection have not been identified. Here, we detected the initial target tissues an...

retinotectal and olfactory systems has clear distinctions, Introduction which relate in part to differences in their functional Defining the molecules and mechanisms that control requirements. In the retinotectal system, the main objecthe establishment of an orderly representation of the tive is to represent the visual world in the brain, that is, peripheral sense organs within the brain has lo...

Histological assessment of the effects of environmental pollutants on marine organisms includes consideration of trends which develop that may link a closely related group of compounds to a representative tissue or organ response. Definition of such a relationship could benefit adjudication of water pollution controversies and, thus, the enforcement of public water pollution laws. Evidence base...

The effects of all-trans retinoic acid on the development of the lateral line placodes of axolotls was studied. Late gastrula and early neurula were exposed to 10(-7) to 10(-5) M retinoic acid for one hour and then reared until they would normally be feeding larvae. As in other vertebrates, the extent of the developmental abnormalities is concentration dependent. Those embryos exposed to the hi...