Moran D T, Varela F J, Rowley J C
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Feb;74(2):793-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.2.793.
Combined high-voltage electron-microscopic and electrophysiological studies strongly suggest that cilia play an active role in sensory transduction in the grasshopper proximal femoral chordotonal organ (FCO) a ciliated mechanoreceptor. The FCO of pro- and mesothoracic legs of Melanoplus bivittatus contains a group of several hundred chorodontal sensilla arranged in a near-parallel bundle and slung between the proximal femur and the knee joint. Both flexion and extension of the tibia stimulate the FCO, which appears to measure the femoro-tibial angle. The FCO's U-shaped response curve indicates that progressive flexion or extension from the resting joint angle of 90 degrees increases the response frequency of individual receptors and recruits additional units as well. Since the FCO is a purely tonic mechanoreceptor, it is possible to fix FCOs during maximum and minimum states of stimulation and electron-microscopically observed changes in the receptor's fine structure. The most conspicuous change is the production of a pronounced bend at the base of the sensory cilia in chordotonal sensilla of maximally stimulated femoral chordotonal organs.
结合高压电子显微镜和电生理学研究有力地表明，纤毛在蝗虫近端股弦音器官（FCO，一种具纤毛的机械感受器）的感觉转导中发挥着积极作用。双带黑蝗前胸和中胸腿部的FCO包含一组数百个弦音感受器，它们排列成近乎平行的束状，悬挂在近端股骨和膝关节之间。胫骨的屈曲和伸展都会刺激FCO，FCO似乎是在测量股胫角。FCO的U形反应曲线表明，从90度的静息关节角度开始逐渐屈曲或伸展，会增加单个感受器的反应频率，并招募更多的单位。由于FCO是一种纯粹的紧张性机械感受器，因此有可能在刺激的最大和最小状态下固定FCO，并通过电子显微镜观察感受器精细结构的变化。最明显的变化是，在受到最大刺激的股弦音器官的弦音感受器中，感觉纤毛基部会产生明显的弯曲。
