Voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel and Na+ channel in frog taste cells

Frog taste cells were hyperpolarized by injecting an inward current pulse, and regenerative anode-break potentials were observed at the termination of the current pulse. The results obtained are as follows. 1) The magnitude of the anode-break potentials increased with the extent of hyperpolarization of taste cells and reached a saturation level around -200 mV. 2) The magnitudes of the anode-break potentials observed in 80 different taste cells hyperpolarized to about -200 mV were distributed widely from cell to cell. The average magnitude was 39 mV. 3) The anode-break potentials were recorded after the lingual artery was perfused with artificial solutions containing various channel blockers. The results indicated that the anode-break potentials are composed of Na+ and Ca2+ components. 4) The slope of the current-voltage relation obtained with cells hyperpolarized to 100 mV was appreciably decreased above -50 mV by application of tetrodotoxin to the perfusing solution. Discussion was made on possible roles of the voltage-dependent Na+ and Ca2+ channels in the electrotonic spreading of the depolarization at the receptor membranes to the synaptic area and in releasing a chemical transmitter.