Narrow-spectrum chemoreceptor cells in the antennules of the American lobster, Homarus americanus.

The present study shows that smell (antennular) receptor cells are as narrowly tuned to single compounds as taste (leg) receptor cells in the lobster. Antennular receptors responded best to hydroxy-L-proline (57% of the 30 cells sampled) and taurine (24%). In the presence of 14 other compounds in equimolar concentrations, the hydroxy-L-proline and taurine receptors showed a suppressed response to their best stimulus. Other cells had best responses to ammonium chloride, betaine, L-glutamate or L-proline. The results have implications for molecular receptor processes and for the neural basis of feeding behavior.