Abstract
INVERTEBRATE photoreceptors show electrical changes which apparently result from isomerisation of single rhodopsin molecules by light or thermal energy1-3. Observation of corresponding phenomena in vertebrates has been prevented by intercellular electrical coupling, which averages membrane potential over many photoreceptors4-6. Recently, however, recordings of membrane current from individual rod outer segments have revealed responses to single photons7,8. Here we report that similar electrical events occasionally occur in darkness, perhaps because of thermal isomerisation of rhodopsin.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 806-807 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Volume | 279 |
| Issue number | 5716 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1979 |
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Cite this
Thermal activation of the visual transduction mechanism in retinal rods [16]. / Yau, King-Wai; Matthews, G.; Baylor, D. A.
In: Nature, Vol. 279, No. 5716, 1979, p. 806-807.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Thermal activation of the visual transduction mechanism in retinal rods [16]
AU - Yau, King-Wai
AU - Matthews, G.
AU - Baylor, D. A.
PY - 1979
Y1 - 1979
N2 - INVERTEBRATE photoreceptors show electrical changes which apparently result from isomerisation of single rhodopsin molecules by light or thermal energy1-3. Observation of corresponding phenomena in vertebrates has been prevented by intercellular electrical coupling, which averages membrane potential over many photoreceptors4-6. Recently, however, recordings of membrane current from individual rod outer segments have revealed responses to single photons7,8. Here we report that similar electrical events occasionally occur in darkness, perhaps because of thermal isomerisation of rhodopsin.
AB - INVERTEBRATE photoreceptors show electrical changes which apparently result from isomerisation of single rhodopsin molecules by light or thermal energy1-3. Observation of corresponding phenomena in vertebrates has been prevented by intercellular electrical coupling, which averages membrane potential over many photoreceptors4-6. Recently, however, recordings of membrane current from individual rod outer segments have revealed responses to single photons7,8. Here we report that similar electrical events occasionally occur in darkness, perhaps because of thermal isomerisation of rhodopsin.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0018803378&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0018803378&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/279806a0
DO - 10.1038/279806a0
M3 - Article
C2 - 109776
AN - SCOPUS:0018803378
VL - 279
SP - 806
EP - 807
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
SN - 0028-0836
IS - 5716
ER -