de Bruyne M, Baker T C
Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
J Chem Ecol. 2008 Jul;34(7):882-97. doi: 10.1007/s10886-008-9485-4. Epub 2008 Jun 6.
Insect olfactory systems present models to study interactions between animal genomes and the environment. They have evolved for fast processing of specific odorant blends and for general chemical monitoring. Here, we review molecular and physiological mechanisms in the context of the ecology of chemical signals. Different classes of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) detect volatile chemicals with various degrees of specialization. Their sensitivities are determined by an insect-specific family of receptor genes along with other accessory proteins. Whereas moth pheromones are detected by highly specialized neurons, many insects share sensitivities to chemical signals from microbial processes and plant secondary metabolism. We promote a more integrated research approach that links molecular physiology of receptor neurons to the ecology of odorants.
昆虫嗅觉系统为研究动物基因组与环境之间的相互作用提供了模型。它们已经进化到能够快速处理特定的气味混合物并进行一般的化学监测。在此，我们在化学信号生态学的背景下综述分子和生理机制。不同类别的嗅觉受体神经元（ORN）以不同程度的特异性检测挥发性化学物质。它们的敏感性由昆虫特有的受体基因家族以及其他辅助蛋白决定。蛾类信息素由高度特化的神经元检测，而许多昆虫对来自微生物过程和植物次生代谢的化学信号具有共同的敏感性。我们提倡一种更综合的研究方法，即将受体神经元的分子生理学与气味剂生态学联系起来。
