Summary
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1.
Simultaneous measurements of the receptor potential and the light-induced mitochondrial activation were performed in white-eyed blowflies Calliphora vicina, mutant chalky, and Lucilia cuprina, mutants w Fand w'nss. The intensity dependence and the temporal dynamics were investigated.
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2.
The characteristic curve of the light-induced mitochondrial activation vs. log intensity has an S-like shape, which is much steeper than the characteristic curve of the receptor potential (the V/log I curve). The threshold intensity of mitochondrial activation elicits about a half-maximal receptor potential, while mitochondrial activation and photoreceptor potential saturate at about the same intensity.
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3.
The time course of the mitochondrial activation induced by a light flash, i.e. the pulse-response curve, is biphasic in both mutants with normal phototransduction properties, Calliphora chalky and Lucilia w F; the shape is slightly species dependent.
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4.
In the phototransduction mutant Lucilia w'nss the step-responses of both the (bright) light-induced mitochondrial activation and receptor potential are quite different from the corresponding signals in Lucilia w F. The striking resemblance of the step-response of the mitochondrial activation to its pulse-response indicates that mitochondrial activation and receptor potential are intimately linked.
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Mojet, M.H., Tinbergen, J. & Stavenga, D.G. Receptor potential and light-induced mitochondrial activation in blowfly photoreceptor mutants. J Comp Physiol A 168, 305–312 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198350
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198350