Intracellular axial current in Chara corallina reflects the altered kinetics of ions in cytoplasm under the influence of light

Abstract

Recent experiments demonstrate that the concentration of Ca2+ in cytoplasm of Chara corallina internodal cells plays important role in electrical excitation of the plasma membrane. The concentration of free Ca 2+ in the cytoplasm -[Ca2+]c is also sensitive to visible light. Both phenomena were simultaneously studied by noninvasive measuring action potential (AP) and magnetic field with a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer in very close vicinity of electrically excited internodal C. corallina cells. A temporal shift in the depolarization maximum, which progressively occurred after transferring cells from the dark into the light, can be explained by the extended Othmer model. Assuming that the change in membrane voltage during the depolarization part of AP is the direct consequence of an activation of [Ca2+]c sensitive Cl - channels, the model simulations compare well with the experimental data. We can say that we have an example of electrically elicited AP that is of biochemical nature. Electric and magnetic measurements are in good agreement.