A NLO spectroscopy method is presented which allows for precise recording of membrane potential changes.
With the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential, changes in cellular morphology appeared as a result of significant apoptosis induction.
An alternative is the use of fluorescent voltage-sensitive dyes that respond to membrane potential changes resulting from channel opening.
In general, apoptotic cells display some specific morphological and biochemical characteristics, including cell rounding and shrinkage, membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation [29], and mitochondrial inner membrane potential changes [30].
In addition, extracellular recordings from the coupled olfactory cells demonstrate that microelectrodes can efficiently monitor the membrane potential changes originated from olfactory cells in response to odorant stimulations.
In this study, we focused on an approach that uses the membrane potential changes induced by an external electric field in a geometrically simple mammalian cell.
The mitochondrial membrane potential changes were analyzed by flow cytometry using a mitochondria-selective dye JC-1 (5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine; Sigma-Aldrich Chemicals, Germany) (Rees et al. 1991; White and Reynolds 1996).
Indeed, a closer examination into both the specific signaling proteins and how the cell's membrane potential changes has supported the hypothesis that RGCs share recent ancestry with rhabdomeric photoreceptors.
Likewise, intracellular signaling molecules such as Ga subunits (Ga-q or Ga-t), G-protein effectors (PLC or PDE), ion channels (TRP or CNG), and membrane potential changes (decrease or increase) are observed, respectively, in rhabdomeric and ciliary photoreceptors.
Ion channel proteins make macromolecular pores in cell membranes that allow ions to move in response to a range of signals mediated by chemical and protein ligands, membrane potential changes, temperature, and mechanical force.
Cultured rat cortical neurons were exposed to the NO generator, diethylenetriamine/nitric oxide adduct, and were examined for signs of cell death, mitochondrial membrane potential changes (Δψm), and the induction of a mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT).
