Bump latency distribution and bump adaptation of limulus ventral nerve photoreceptor in varied extracellular calcium concentrations

1983 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Stieve ◽  
M. Bruns
1979 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 351
Author(s):  
M. Bruns ◽  
M. Giesen ◽  
G. Maaz ◽  
M. Pflaum ◽  
H. Stieve

1978 ◽  
Vol 33 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 574-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Stieve ◽  
M. Bruns

Abstract The membrane potential in the dark and the saturated response height of the ventral nerve photoreceptor of Limulus was measured by an intracellular electrode while the external concentration of calcium, magnesium and sodium ions was varied. Decreasing the extracellular calcium concentration from 10-2 mol/l causes a calcium-dependent lowering of the dark membrane potential and at very low concentrations (<10-8 mol/l a reversal to ca. +5 to +11 mV, if the external magnesium concentration is also low. Also, the light response diminishes with decreasing extracellular calcium concentration and disappears at a concentration of 10-9 mol/l. External magnesium can substitute for certain properties of extracellular calcium. Lowering the extracellular sodium concentration from 543 mmol/l to 30 - 50 mmol/1 reduces the dark membrane potential and the light responses at normal calcium concentration, whereas at low calcium concentration it causes a substantial rise of both. Interpretation: The results are in accordance with our working hypothesis that a strong reduction of the external calcium (and magnesium) concentration causes a calcium concentration dependent opening of “ light channels” in the dark. Additional lowering the extracellular sodium concentration counteracts this effect; opening and closing of light channels is controlled by negative binding sites on the cell membrane for which calcium and sodium ions compete with an antagonistic action.


Author(s):  
H.B. Pollard ◽  
C.E. Creutz ◽  
C.J. Pazoles ◽  
J.H. Scott

Exocytosis is a general concept describing secretion of enzymes, hormones and transmitters that are otherwise sequestered in intracellular granules. Chemical evidence for this concept was first gathered from studies on chromaffin cells in perfused adrenal glands, in which it was found that granule contents, including both large protein and small molecules such as adrenaline and ATP, were released together while the granule membrane was retained in the cell. A number of exhaustive reviews of this early work have been published and are summarized in Reference 1. The critical experiments demonstrating the importance of extracellular calcium for exocytosis per se were also first performed in this system (2,3), further indicating the substantial service given by chromaffin cells to those interested in secretory phenomena over the years.


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