On the metabolism of the rod outer segments

1. The high energy phosphate esters available for the luminescent reaction of the firefly lantern extract correspond, in the dark adapted rods of the frog, to 7 X 10(-16) mole of ATP per rod, corresponding to ca. 1-4 mM. 2. Rods isolated from light adapted eyes contain a smaller amount. 3. The high energy phosphate esters are reduced spontaneously at a rate of 50% in 24 min, in the isolated rods in darkness. 4. Bleaching a few per cent of the rhodopsin molecules of a rod suspension induces a 60% decrease achieved in less than 12 sec. 5. The ionophore A23187 decreases the high energy phosphate esters when the extracellular free Ca concentration is greater than 10(-7) M, suggesting that ATP is consumed in pumping Ca ions out of the rods, or into the disks contained in the rods, or both.