Parallel olfactory processing in a hemimetabolous insect

Hidehiro Watanabe; Kosuke Tateishi

doi:10.1016/j.cois.2023.101097

Parallel olfactory processing in a hemimetabolous insect

Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2023 Oct:59:101097. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101097. Epub 2023 Aug 2.

Authors

Hidehiro Watanabe¹, Kosuke Tateishi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Earth System Science, Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: nabehide@fukuoka-u.ac.jp.
² Department of Earth System Science, Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180, Fukuoka, Japan; School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda 669-1330, Hyogo, Japan.

PMID: 37541388
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101097

Abstract

To represent specific olfactory cues from the highly complex and dynamic odor world in the brain, insects employ multiple parallel olfactory pathways that process odors with different coding strategies. Here, we summarize the anatomical and physiological features of parallel olfactory pathways in the hemimetabolous insect, the cockroach Periplaneta americana. The cockroach processes different aspects of odor stimuli, such as odor qualities, temporal information, and dynamics, through parallel olfactory pathways. These parallel pathways are anatomically segregated from the peripheral to higher brain centers, forming functional maps within the brain. In addition, the cockroach may possess parallel pathways that correspond to distinct types of olfactory receptors expressed in sensory neurons. Through comparisons with olfactory pathways in holometabolous insects, we aim to provide valuable insights into the organization, functionality, and evolution of insect olfaction.

Publication types

Review