large labellar taste bristle [FBbt_00007411]

large labellar taste bristle

ID: FBbt_00007411

Largest of the three main labellar taste bristle types, it is approximately 35 micrometres long (Shanbhag et al., 2001). These taste bristles contain the sensory dendrites of four gustatory receptor neurons (Shanbhag et al., 2001), with mostly invariant receptor expression (Weiss et al., 2011; Jaeger et al., 2018), and one mechanosensory neuron (Shanbhag et al., 2001). The gustatory neurons can respond to sugars, salt and water (Meunier et al., 2003; Fujishiro et al., 1984). Large taste bristles do not respond to bitter stimuli and their gustatory receptor neurons do not express the bitter receptor Gr66a (Weiss et al., 2011).

Shanbhag et al. (2001) report that there are between 7 and 9 L-type sensilla, whilst Hiroi et al. (2002), Weiss et al. (2011) and Jaeger et al. (2018) all show 9. Positions are relatively consistent between studies (6 in a relatively medial row, 3 in a relatively lateral row), despite two different numbering schemes.