2. Chemosensory control of locomotion - Cutaneous system

Cutaneous Chemosensory System and Locomotion

More recently, we began to examine the chemosensory cells located on papillae around the oral disc, nasal opening, gill openings and at the tip of the dorsal fins, in collaboration with the team of Dr. Barbara Zielinski in Windsor, ON. We have shown that the numerous solitary chemosensory cells with microvilli that protrude out of the surface of the papillae respond to molecules involved in prey finding and recognition. The chemosensory information is then conveyed to the central nervous system through thick axons that enter the spinal cord or the brainstem and course in close proximity with somatosensory systems like the trigeminal sensory tract or the spinal dorsal columns.

This research was supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Commision.