The light response of drosophila photoreceptors is accompanied by an increase in cellular calcium: Effects of specific mutations

A. Peretz*, E. Suss-Toby, A. Rom-Glas, A. Arnon, R. Payne, B. Minke

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

129 Scopus citations

Abstract

Photoreceptors of dissociated Drosophila retinae were loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicators, fluo-3 and Calcium Green-5N. In fluo-3-loaded, wild-type photoreceptors, a rapid increase in fluorescence (Ca2+ signal) accompanied the light-evoked inward current. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ greatly reduced the Ca2+ signal, indicating Ca2+ influx as its major cause. In Calcium Green-5N-loaded trp mutants, which lack a large fraction of the Ca2+ permeability underlying the light-evoked inward current, the Ca2+ signal was smaller relative to wild-type photoreceptors. Fluo-3-loaded norpA mutant photoreceptors, which lack a light-activated phospholipase C, generated no light-evoked inward current and no Ca2+ signal. The phosphoinositide pathway therefore appears necessary for both excitation and changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1257-1267
Number of pages11
JournalNeuron
Volume12
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1994

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