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  • Contaminant-specific targeting of olfactory sensory neuron classes: connecting neuron class impairment with behavioural deficits.

Contaminant-specific targeting of olfactory sensory neuron classes: connecting neuron class impairment with behavioural deficits.

Chemosphere (2014-03-19)
William A Dew, Ali Azizishirazi, Greg G Pyle
ABSTRACT

The olfactory system of fish comprises several classes of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). The odourants L-alanine and taurocholic acid (TCA) specifically activate microvillous or ciliated OSNs, respectively, in fish. We recorded electro-olfactograms (EOG) in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas; a laboratory-reared model species) and wild yellow perch (Perca flavescens) whose olfactory chambers were perfused with either L-alanine or TCA to determine if OSN classes were differentially vulnerable to contaminants, in this case copper or nickel. Results were consistent in both species and demonstrated that nickel targeted and impaired microvillous OSN function, while copper targeted and impaired ciliated OSN function. This result suggests that contaminant-specific effects observed in model laboratory species extrapolate to wild fish populations. Moreover, fathead minnows exposed to copper failed to perceive a conspecific alarm cue in a choice maze, whereas those exposed to nickel could respond to the same conspecific cue. These results demonstrate that fathead minnows perceive conspecific, damage-released alarm cue by ciliated, but not microvillous, OSNs. Fish living in copper-contaminated environments may be more vulnerable to predation than those in clean lakes owing to targeted effects on ciliated OSNs.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Supelco
L-Alanine, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
Sigma-Aldrich
L-Alanine, ≥99%
Sigma-Aldrich
Nickel, foil, thickness 0.1 mm, 99.98% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Nickel, nanopowder, <100 nm avg. part. size, ≥99% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Nickel, wire, diam. 0.5 mm, ≥99.9% trace metals basis
Supelco
L-Alanine, certified reference material, TraceCERT®, Manufactured by: Sigma-Aldrich Production GmbH, Switzerland
Sigma-Aldrich
Nickel, foil, thickness 0.5 mm, 99.98% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
L-Alanine, ≥98% (TLC)
Sigma-Aldrich
L-Alanine, from non-animal source, meets EP, USP testing specifications, suitable for cell culture, 98.5-101.0%
Sigma-Aldrich
Nickel, powder, <50 μm, 99.7% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Nickel, rod, diam. 6.35 mm, ≥99.99% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
L-Alanine, BioUltra, ≥99.5% (NT)
Sodium taurocholate, BRP, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard
Nickel, foil, 6mm disks, thickness 0.009mm, 99.95%
Nickel, foil, 6mm disks, thickness 0.05mm, as rolled, 99.99+%
Nickel, foil, not light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.004mm, hard, 99%
Alanine, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard
Nickel, foil, not light tested, 25x25mm, thickness 0.001mm, 99.95%
Nickel, foil, not light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.002mm, 99.95%
Nickel, foil, light tested, 25x25mm, thickness 0.009mm, 99.95%
Nickel, foil, not light tested, 25x25mm, thickness 0.0005mm, temporary acrylic support, 99.95%
Nickel, foil, light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.007mm, 99.95%
Nickel, tube, 500mm, outside diameter 1.0mm, inside diameter 0.8mm, wall thickness 0.1mm, hard, 99.5%
Nickel, foil, 10mm disks, thickness 0.015mm, 99.9%
Nickel, foil, 10m coil, thickness 0.125mm, coil width 50mm, annealed, 99%
Nickel, pellets, 20g, max. size 20mm, 99.99+%
Nickel, foil, 0.5m coil, thickness 0.125mm, annealed, 99%
Nickel, rod, 1000mm, diameter 20.0mm, 99%
Nickel, foil, 0.5m coil, thickness 0.005mm, as rolled, 99.9%
Nickel, wire reel, 1m, diameter 0.4mm, as drawn, 99.99+%