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KINETIC FACTORS GOVERNING SENSITIZED PHOTOOXIDATION OF EXCITABLE CELL MEMBRANES
Author(s) -
Pooler J. P.,
Valenzeno Dennis P.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1978.tb07698.x
Subject(s) - chemistry , eosin , membrane , eosin y , action spectrum , diffusion , reaction rate constant , kinetics , analytical chemistry (journal) , fluorescein , absorption (acoustics) , biophysics , depolarization , photochemistry , fluorescence , chromatography , biochemistry , staining , thermodynamics , optics , medicine , physics , pathology , photocatalysis , quantum mechanics , biology , catalysis
— The kinetic factors which determine the rate at which Na + channels in nerve membranes become photochemically modified were studied on giant axons from lobsters using the double sucrose gap voltage clamp technique. Axons were bathed in artificial sea water containing sensitizing dyes and illuminated from a Xe are source with light in the visible region while being repetitively step depolarized. Successive values of peak Na + current and time‐to‐peak were monitored and rate constants for their change served as the assay for magnitude of modification. Action spectra for four sensitizers in the fluorescein series exhibited red shifts of roughly 17nm demonstrating that sensitizing species are not simply free in solution. Eosin Y diffuses to its sensitization sites with a half time of 70s indicating the existence of a major diffusion barrier which may mean that dye must penetrate to the interior of the membrane to be effective. Eosin Y is removed from sensitization sites by rinse with the same half time but shows two fractions: a faster fraction comprising 80% of sensitizing effectiveness and a slower fraction comprising 20%. The concentration dependence for Eosin Y is linear below 10 μ M and shows a progressive saturation at higher values, where the relationship is difficult to determine because of shielding. Different sensitizers vary in their ability to sensitize block of channels vs disruption of inactivation, demonstrating separate processes for the two modifications. It is suggested that both modifications proceed from single photon absorption events by individual sensitizer molecules bound or located close to the modification sites on the channels.