Distribution of neuropeptides in the antennal lobes of male Spodoptera littoralis

Abstract

Olfaction is an important sensory modality that regulates a plethora of behavioural expressions in insects. Processing of olfactory information takes place in the primary olfactory centres of the brain, namely the antennal lobes (ALs). Neuropeptides have been shown to be present in the olfactory system of various insect species. In the present study, we analyse the distribution of tachykinin, FMRFamide-related peptides, allatotropin, allatostatin, myoinhibitory peptides and SIFamide in the AL of the male Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. Immunocytochemical analyses revealed that most neuropeptides were expressed in different subpopulations of AL neurons. Their arborisation patterns within the AL suggest a significant role of neuropeptide signalling in the modulation of AL processing. In addition to local interneurons, our analysis also revealed a diversity of extrinsic peptidergic neurons that connected the antennal lobe with other brain centres. Their distributions suggest that extrinsic neurons perform various types of context-related modulation.

Keywords

Olfaction; Antennal lobes; Immunocytochemistry; Neuropeptides; Spodoptera littoralis

Published in

Cell and Tissue Research
2013, volume: 354, number: 2, pages: 431-440
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• Kromann, Sophie

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Hansson, Bill

  • Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

• Ignell, Rickard

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Structural Biology
Zoology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-013-1703-x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/50663