The cephalopod olfactory organ was described for the first time in 1844 by Kollinker who was attracted from the pair of pits, one on each side of the head, in both octopuses and squids. In 1974 Woodhams and Messenger wrote “A note on the ultrastructure of the Octopus olfactory organ” in which they used the electron microscopy techniques to describe the structure of the Olfactory Epithelium (OE). More information about the OE has been gained in Octopus joubini in which Emery (1976) characterized six types of Olfactory Receptor Neurons (ORNs), but to date not much is known about its functions. Recently, in squid two pathways of signal transduction have been found mediate the odor responsiveness. Just like O. jubini the O. vulgaris olfactory organ is localized on each side of the head anteriorly to the dorsal junction of the mantel with the body, it appear to be a tiny white hole hard to be recognized. At light microscope the OE result to be organized in bagged bulge whose surface layer is made of ORNs and sustentacular cells, underneath a group of ring shape cells give turgor to the entire structure. The Olfactory Marker Protein (OMP) is an abundant, phylogenetically conserved, cytoplasmic protein of unknown function expressed in vertebrate mature olfactory sensory neurons, we found a strong OMP immunoreactivity in almost all the octopus ORNs. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is widely distributed in vertebrate brains, where it appears to be involved in the control of appetite and feeding behavior, its presence in the olfactory system has been linked to a modulatory activity of the olfactory perception and to a proliferative capability of olfactory epithelia, we observed scattered NPY immunoreactive ORNs within the octopus OE. Moreover, by means Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry, we observed a diffuse proliferative activity within the superficial layers of ORNs with a slightly more intense immunoreactivity along the marginal side of the bag. Overall our data suggest that these peptides have a conserved role also in cephalopods.
Topology, morphology and function of olfactory organ in Octopus vulgaris / Polese, Gianluca; Francesco Paolo Ulloa, Severino; Luca, Troncone; Carla, Bertapelle; DI COSMO, Anna. - (2012). (Intervento presentato al convegno Molluscan Neuroscience tenutosi a Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Floria, USA nel 15-19 May, 2012).
Topology, morphology and function of olfactory organ in Octopus vulgaris
POLESE, GIANLUCA;DI COSMO, ANNA
2012
Abstract
The cephalopod olfactory organ was described for the first time in 1844 by Kollinker who was attracted from the pair of pits, one on each side of the head, in both octopuses and squids. In 1974 Woodhams and Messenger wrote “A note on the ultrastructure of the Octopus olfactory organ” in which they used the electron microscopy techniques to describe the structure of the Olfactory Epithelium (OE). More information about the OE has been gained in Octopus joubini in which Emery (1976) characterized six types of Olfactory Receptor Neurons (ORNs), but to date not much is known about its functions. Recently, in squid two pathways of signal transduction have been found mediate the odor responsiveness. Just like O. jubini the O. vulgaris olfactory organ is localized on each side of the head anteriorly to the dorsal junction of the mantel with the body, it appear to be a tiny white hole hard to be recognized. At light microscope the OE result to be organized in bagged bulge whose surface layer is made of ORNs and sustentacular cells, underneath a group of ring shape cells give turgor to the entire structure. The Olfactory Marker Protein (OMP) is an abundant, phylogenetically conserved, cytoplasmic protein of unknown function expressed in vertebrate mature olfactory sensory neurons, we found a strong OMP immunoreactivity in almost all the octopus ORNs. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is widely distributed in vertebrate brains, where it appears to be involved in the control of appetite and feeding behavior, its presence in the olfactory system has been linked to a modulatory activity of the olfactory perception and to a proliferative capability of olfactory epithelia, we observed scattered NPY immunoreactive ORNs within the octopus OE. Moreover, by means Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry, we observed a diffuse proliferative activity within the superficial layers of ORNs with a slightly more intense immunoreactivity along the marginal side of the bag. Overall our data suggest that these peptides have a conserved role also in cephalopods.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
