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First published online June 29, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 2563-2573 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.004283
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Effects of two bitter substances on olfactory conditioning in the moth Heliothis virescens

Kari Jørgensen1,*, Marit Stranden1, Jean-Christophe Sandoz2, Randolf Menzel3 and Hanna Mustaparta1

1 Neuroscience Unit, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway,
2 Research Center on Animal Cognition, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
3 Department of Biology, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: kari.jorgensen{at}bio.ntnu.no)

Accepted 9 May 2007

In nature, moths encounter nutritious and toxic substances in plants, and thus have to discriminate between a diversity of tastants. Whereas olfactory learning allowing memory of nutritious plants is well demonstrated, little is known about learning and memory of toxic items in adult lepidopterans. Moths may use bitter substances to detect and possibly learn to avoid noxious plants. We have studied the physiological and behavioural effects of two bitter substances, quinine and sinigrin, on the moth Heliothis virescens. Electrophysiological recordings showed responses to both compounds in gustatory receptor neurons on the antennae. The response patterns suggested a peripheral discrimination between quinine and sinigrin. We evaluated their putative aversive effect in an appetitive conditioning context where the moths learned to associate an odour with sucrose. We first aimed at enhancing olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension response by testing the effect of the sucrose concentration on acquisition, retention and extinction. 2 mol l–1 and 3 mol l–1 sucrose concentration gave similar acquisition, retention and extinction performances. Experiments involving pre-exposure or facilitated extinction with an odour paired with quinine, sinigrin or no tastant showed a latent inhibitory effect, as well as an aversive effect of quinine and, to a lesser extent, of sinigrin. The results suggested that the two tastants may act as negative reinforcers in H. virescens.

Key words: aversion, learning, memory, gustation, Heliothis virescens




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 Chem SensesHome page
K. Jorgensen, T. J. Almaas, F. Marion-Poll, and H. Mustaparta
Electrophysiological Characterization of Responses from Gustatory Receptor Neurons of sensilla chaetica in the Moth Heliothis virescens
Chem Senses, November 1, 2007; 32(9): 863 - 879.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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