Dew William A, Pyle Greg G
Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4 Canada.
Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1 Canada; Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4 Canada.
Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2014 Mar;169:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2013.12.005. Epub 2013 Dec 12.
Calcium plays an essential role in olfactory sensory neuron function. Studies with fish have indicated that in addition to being involved in olfactory signalling, calcium is itself an odourant. In this study we used fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and employed two different techniques; electro-olfactography (EOG), a neurophysiological technique that measures olfactory acuity at the olfactory epithelium, and a behavioural choice assay using a trough maze. The results demonstrate that calcium and a known odourant L-arginine are cross-adaptive, that calcium induces an EOG response in a concentration-dependent manner, and that calcium induces a strong avoidance behaviour. The behavioural avoidance was also demonstrated to be olfactory-dependent. Taken together, the results demonstrate that calcium is a potent odourant for fathead minnows. Being able to smell calcium may represent an ability to sense and avoid areas with significant changes in ionic strength, thereby avoiding physiological stress.
钙在嗅觉感觉神经元功能中起着至关重要的作用。对鱼类的研究表明，钙除了参与嗅觉信号传导外，其本身也是一种气味剂。在本研究中，我们使用黑头软口鲦鱼（Pimephales promelas）并采用了两种不同的技术：电嗅觉图（EOG），一种在嗅觉上皮测量嗅觉敏锐度的神经生理学技术，以及使用槽式迷宫的行为选择试验。结果表明，钙和一种已知的气味剂L-精氨酸具有交叉适应性，钙以浓度依赖的方式诱导EOG反应，并且钙会引发强烈的回避行为。行为回避也被证明是依赖嗅觉的。综上所述，结果表明钙是黑头软口鲦鱼的一种强效气味剂。能够嗅到钙可能代表着一种感知并避开离子强度发生显著变化区域的能力，从而避免生理应激。
