Saturation of the response to light in Limulus ventral photoreceptor
Abstract
1. Limulus ventral photoreceptor cells were voltage-clamped with two intracellular micro-electrodes. The light-induced membrane current was recorded for brief stimuli. From observation of discrete waves (quantum bumps) at low stimulus energies and the early receptor potential at high energies, the stimulus energy was related to the number of rhodopsin molecules photosiomerized. 2. In the dark-adapted cell the log (peak light-induced current) reached almost its maximum value when about 10(3) of the 10(9) rhodopsin molecules in the cell were photoisomerized. 3. The magnitude of the maximum light-induced current was not significantly altered after iontophoresis of EGTA into the cell. This treatment is known to counteract the Ca2+-mediated reduction in sensitivity to light. 4. Current pulses were injected into the unclamped cell during the receptor potential. The form of the voltage deflexion (a step followed by a curve) suggested that the effective electrical equivalent of the cell was a membrane capacitance in parallel with a light-dependent membrane resistance, Rm, and in series with another, light-invariant, resistance, Rs. Rs ranged from 7 to 24 k omega (five cells). 5. During a receptor potential the ratio Rm/Rs was never observed to fall below 1.7 no matter how intense the light flash. Hence, it is concluded that the light-induced current saturated essentially because Rm fell to a minimum value. 6. Charging curves gave a value for the capacitance, and hence the area, of…
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