Somatotopic Organization of Sensory Inputs From Taste Appendages in the Subesophageal Zone and Brain of the Honey Bee Apis mellifera
4 affiliations
- 1Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology University Paris‐Saclay, CNRS, IRD Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
- 2Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Paris‐Seine, IBPS Paris France
- 3Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Inserm, Centre de Neuroscience Neuro‐SU Paris France
- 4Institut Universitaire de France Paris France
Abstract
The study of gustatory pathways from the periphery to the brain offers valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying taste processing and foraging choices, particularly in ecologically and economically relevant species such as the honey bee, Apis mellifera. While the neural substrates of other sensory modalities in bees, notably olfaction and vision, have been thoroughly characterized, the organization principles of gustatory pathways in the primary gustatory center (the subesophageal zone, SEZ) and brain of this species remain largely unexplored. Using anterograde mass staining with dextran‐coupled fluorescent tracers applied into the main gustatory appendages (antennae, mouthparts, and foreleg tarsi), we identified the projection areas of their sensory afferents within the SEZ. Our results show that sensory circuits are confined to specific, distinct regions of the SEZ, suggesting the presence of somatotopic “maps” corresponding to the different appendages. Overlaps between projections, reflecting potential information exchange between appendicular domains in the SEZ, were most evident among inputs originating from similar appendages (e.g., between mouthparts—proboscis and mandibles) and were limited between domains of different appendages (e.g., antennae and mouthparts). We also confirm the subesophageal‐calycal tract (SCT) as the main output of the SEZ. Combined retrograde staining of the SCT and anterograde staining of taste appendages revealed that SCT dendrites overlap specifically with sensory input from the maxillae in the SEZ. The functional significance of these findings is discussed in the context of gustatory information processing during bee feeding behavior, and the results are considered within a comparative framework across insect taxa.
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BibTeX
@article{pitzalis2026somatotopic,
title = {{Somatotopic Organization of Sensory Inputs From Taste Appendages in the Subesophageal Zone and Brain of the Honey Bee Apis mellifera}},
author = {Melissa Pitzalis and Virginie Larcher and Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez and Martin Giurfa and Julie Carcaud and Jean‐Christophe Sandoz},
journal = {The Journal of Comparative Neurology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1002/cne.70221},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70221},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Somatotopic Organization of Sensory Inputs From Taste Appendages in the Subesophageal Zone and Brain of the Honey Bee Apis mellifera
AU - Melissa Pitzalis
AU - Virginie Larcher
AU - Maria Gabriela de Brito Sanchez
AU - Martin Giurfa
AU - Julie Carcaud
AU - Jean‐Christophe Sandoz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - The Journal of Comparative Neurology
DO - 10.1002/cne.70221
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.70221
AB - The study of gustatory pathways from the periphery to the brain offers valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying taste processing and foraging choices, particularly in ecologically and economically relevant species such as the honey bee, Apis mellifera. While the neural substrates of other sensory modalities in bees, notably olfaction and vision, have been thoroughly characterized, the organization principles of gustatory pathways in the primary gustatory center (the subesophageal zone, SEZ) and brain of this species remain largely unexplored. Using anterograde mass staining with dextran‐coupled fluorescent tracers applied into the main gustatory appendages (antennae, mouthparts, and foreleg tarsi), we identified the projection areas of their sensory afferents within the SEZ. Our results show that sensory circuits are confined to specific, distinct regions of the SEZ, suggesting the presence of somatotopic “maps” corresponding to the different appendages. Overlaps between projections, reflecting potential information exchange between appendicular domains in the SEZ, were most evident among inputs originating from similar appendages (e.g., between mouthparts—proboscis and mandibles) and were limited between domains of different appendages (e.g., antennae and mouthparts). We also confirm the subesophageal‐calycal tract (SCT) as the main output of the SEZ. Combined retrograde staining of the SCT and anterograde staining of taste appendages revealed that SCT dendrites overlap specifically with sensory input from the maxillae in the SEZ. The functional significance of these findings is discussed in the context of gustatory information processing during bee feeding behavior, and the results are considered within a comparative framework across insect taxa.
SN - 0021-9967
SN - 1096-9861
ER -