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First published online May 8, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 1776-1785 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.001727
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Chemosensory reception, behavioral expression, and ecological interactions at multiple trophic levels

Ryan P. Ferrer1 and Richard K. Zimmer1,2,*

1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606, USA
2 Neurosciences Program and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606, USA


Figure 1
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  		Fig. 1. Structural formulae of arginine analogues, as tested in this study.

 

Figure 2
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  		Fig. 2. (A) Tested adult newts inhabited stream pools along a 4 km stretch of Tuna Canyon Creek in Malibu, California, USA. In each 5-min trial, an investigator hid behind rock boulders that lined the stream, and continuously released solution (treatment or control) though transparent polyethylene tubing. The tip of the tubing was placed, nominally, 30 cm upstream of a free-ranging adult newt. (B–E) Successive images (at 3 s intervals) showing an adult (gray arrow) detecting an attractant (arginine, at 10–5 mol l–1) odor plume, turning, and swimming upstream to the source (white open circle). The principal along-channel axis of stream flow is denoted by a white arrow.

 

Figure 3
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  		Fig. 3. Percentage of newts swimming upstream to the site of amino acid or stream water (control) release. Each compound was tested at 10–5 mol l–1; functional groups are illustrated above respective bars. Arg, arginine; Ala, alanine; Gly, glycine; Tau, taurine; Glu, glutamate; Lys, lysine; Cys, cysteine; Leu, leucine; Phe, phenylalanine; Met, methionine; Asp, aspartate; Trp, tryptophan; Val, valine; WF, worm fluids with a corresponding arginine concentration of 10–5 mol l–1). Asterisks denote a significant difference between larval responses to test and control (stream water) solutions, using a Fisher exact test (P<0.05).

 

Figure 4
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  		Fig. 4. Effects of concentration of arginine on percentage of newts swimming upstream (open circles) to the site of solution release. Stream water (striped triangle) and worm fluids (closed square; with a corresponding arginine concentration of 10–5 mol l–1) served as controls. Concentrations are not corrected for dilution associated with chemical release and delivery.

 

Figure 5
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  		Fig. 5. Percentage of newts swimming upstream to the site of arginine analog or control (stream water) solution release. Each compound was tested at 10–5 mol l–1, with separate experiments performed for (A) carboxyl substitutions, (B) amine substitutions, (C) carbon chain substitutions, and (D) guanidinium substitutions. Arg, arginine; Guan, guanidine; AGB, agmatine; AME, arginine methyl ester; GAA, guanidinacetate; GBA, guanidinobutyrate; HA, homoarginine; AGPA, {alpha}-amino-ß-guanidinopropionate; Lys, lysine; NA, N-{omega}-nitro-L-arginine; NV, norvaline. Asterisks denotes a significant difference between larval responses to test and control (stream water) solutions, using a Fisher exact test (P<0.05).

 

Figure 6
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  		Fig. 6. Percentage of newts swimming upstream to the site of 10–5 mol l–1 arginine or stream water (control) release. Inert silicon gel was applied either to the forehead (control) or to the nares of newts to block the nasal cavities. Asterisk denotes a significant difference between newt responses to arginine and control (stream water) solutions, using a Fisher exact test (P<0.01).

 

Figure 7
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  		Fig. 7. Schematic depiction of predator–prey interactions involving Taricha torosa, and the chemosensory cues that mediate them. Arg, arginine; TTX, tetrodotoxin. This graphic summarizes combined results from eight published investigations (Elliot et al., 1993Go; McAllister et al., 1997Go; Kerby and Kats, 1998Go; Mobley and Stidham, 2000Go; Brodie et al., 2005Go; Zimmer et al., 2006Go; Ferrer and Zimmer, 2007Go) (present study).

 




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2007