Separable phases of light-evoked depolarizations in the retina of Strombus

The waveforms of light-evoked depolarizations in Strombus retinal neurones can exhibit two sequential peaks or phases, the relative amplitudes of which vary with changes in stimulus intensity and interstimulus interval. Experiments employing either the passage of constant intracellular current or voltage clamp techniques indicate that both phases reverse polarity at intracellular potentials less negative than the resting potential. The potential at which the first phase reverses its polarity is considerably more positive than that of the second phase. The results indicate that the light-evoked depolarizations are generated by at least two different processes; these appear to be separate conductance changes, neither of which is voltage dependent. Under certain conditions, the second phase was inhibited by high extracellular concentrations of Mg2+, indicating that it may arise as a result of chemically mediated synaptic transmission. The first phase did not show such inhibition and appears to be caused by the direct action of light on the cell.