Mechanisms for mixture suppression in olfactory receptors of the spiny lobster

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Abstract
The mechanisms by which the output of olfactory receptor cells is suppressed, as can happen, for example, when receptor cells are activated by stimulus mixtures, are ill defined. We show that subthreshold concentrations of some odorants suppress the responses of antennular (olfactory) chemoreceptors of the spiny lobster to stimulatory odorants in a manner indicative of competitive inhibition. The effect of these suppressive odorants on the response of other receptor cells is inconsistent with this hypothesis, allowing that non-competitive mechanisms also contribute to peripheral mixture suppression in the olfactory pathway of the spiny lobster.