A protocol for the study of desensitization and sensitivity recovery of crayfish photoreceptors as a function of circadian time is presented.
A method to study desensitization and recovery of crayfish photoreceptors is presented. We performed intracellular electrical recordings of photoreceptor cells in isolated eyestalks using the discontinuous single electrode-switched voltage-clamp configuration. First, with a razor blade we made an opening in the dorsal cornea to get access to the retina. Thereafter, we inserted a glass electrode through the opening, and penetrated a cell as reported by the recording of a negative potential. Membrane potential was clamped at the photoreceptor’s resting potential and a light-pulse was applied to activate currents. Finally, the two light-flash protocol was employed to measure current desensitization and recovery. The first light-flash triggers, after a lag period, the transduction ionic current, which after reaching a peak amplitude decays towards a desensitized state; the second flash, applied at varying time intervals, assesses the state of the light-activated conductance. To characterize the light-elicited current, three parameters were measured: 1) latency (the time elapsed between light flash delivery and the moment in which current achieves 10% of its maximum value); 2) peak current; and 3) desensitization time constant (exponential time constant of the current decay phase). All parameters are affected by the first pulse.
To quantify recovery from desensitization, the ratio p2/p1 was employed versus time between pulses. p1 is the peak current evoked by the first light-pulse, and p2 is the peak current evoked by the second pulse. These data were fitted to a sum of exponential functions. Finally, these measurements were carried out as function of circadian time.
In order to be perceived as a visual stimulus, light reaching the eyes must be transduced into an electrical signal. Hence, in all visual organisms, light triggers a transduction ion-current, which in turn produces a change in the membrane potential of photoreceptor cells, the so-called receptor potential. Due to this, the light sensitivity of the eye primarily depends on the state of the light activated conductance, which can be either available to be activated or desensitized.
In crayfish photoreceptors, light triggers a slow, transient, ionic current1. Upon illumination, the transduction current arises after a lag or latency before reaching its maximum; thereafter it decays, as the transduction channels fall into a desensitized state in which they are unresponsive to further light stimulus2. That is, light, in addition to activating the transduction current responsible of vision, also induces a transient decrement of the sensitivity of photoreceptor cells. Desensitization may represent a general protective mechanism against overexposure to an adequate stimulus. The eye's sensitivity to light is recovered as the transduction conductance recovers from desensitization.
Intracellular recording is a useful technique for measuring electrical activity of excitable cells3,4,5,6,7,8. Although intracellular recording has become less frequent with the advent of the patch-clamp technique9, it is still a convenient approach when cells are either difficult to isolate, or present a geometry that makes the formation of the patch-clamping giga-seals difficult (i.e., seals or tight-contacts between the patch electrode and membranes with electrical resistance of the order of 109ohms). Examples of the latter are sperm cells10 and the photoreceptor cells herein studied. In our experience, Procambarus clarkii photoreceptors are difficult to isolate and keep in primary culture; additionally, they are thin rods that make giga-seal formation difficult to achieve. In intracellular recordings, a sharp electrode is advanced into a cell that is kept in place by the surrounding tissue. The electrode is chopped by the high-speed switching circuitry of the amplifier, so current is sampled between voltage pulses. This mode is known as discontinuous single-electrode voltage clamp (dSEVC mode)11. The high resistance (small opening) of the electrode hinders the diffusional exchange between the cell and the pipette solutions, yielding a minimal disturbance of the intracellular milieu3. A potential drawback of this technique is that electrode insertion may produce a non-selective leak current; therefore, care must be taken to avoid recording from cells where the size of the leak current may interfere with the intended measurements4,12.
Herein, we use isolated crayfish eyestalks to assess desensitization and recovery of the light-activated ion conductance by performing intracellular electrical recordings of photoreceptor cells under voltage clamp conditions.
NOTE: The experiments comply with the Laws of Animal Protection of Mexico.
1. Experimental Setup
2. Biological Material
Note: Use adult crayfishes P. clarkii (7-10 cm long) in the intermolt stage of indistinct sex.
3. Photoreceptor Impaling
4. Electrical Recording
5. Data Analysis
First, a representative receptor potential of crayfish photoreceptor cells is obtained (Figure 4). Afterwards, a test light-flash was applied to trigger the light transduction current (Figure 5). The cationic transduction current1 activates after a lag, reaching a maximal and thereafter slowly drops into an absorbing desensitized state from which it slowly recovers.
It is reasonable to suppose that the long latency L (tens of milliseconds) of the light-elicited current depends on the biochemical events triggered by light, which involve G-protein pathways. The amplitude of the peak current Ip depends on the fraction of channels available to be opened, and the relative rates of current activation and inactivation. The latter is assessed by the decay time constant T.
On the other hand, the L recovery should be related to the rate of recovery of the biochemical phototransduction cascade; Ip recovery depends both, on the intrinsic conformational changes of the proteins responsible for the ion conductance, and on the rate of recovery of the biochemical phototransduction cascade. The latter could also be related to the recovery of T. Furthermore, the parallel variation of L and T suggest that a common biochemical factor (or factors; e.g., the phosphorylation state of the channel) can affect both parameters1.
A two-flash protocol (Figure 6) was applied subsequently to determine the kinetics of recovery from desensitization (Figure 7) at different moments in the circadian cycle (Figure 8).
Figure 1. Line diagram of the equipment setup. Connections among personal computer (PC) (A), interface (B), oscilloscope (C), voltage-clamp amplifier (D), photostimulator (E), and the headstage/holder/microelectrode system of the equipment setup (F). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2. Recording chamber. (A) The recording chamber inside a Faraday cage with its superfusion-suction system. It is also shown the position of photostimulator, microscope, and micromanipulator-headstage-microelectrode system. (B) Diagram of the recording chamber. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3. Electroretinogram (ERG) amplitude. (A) Crayfish. (B) Representative plot of the ERG amplitude of crayfish photoreceptors (data were taken every 20 min) as a function of circadian time. The existence of a circadian rhythm can be clearly appreciated. Note that for each cycle, the beginning of activity coincides with circadian time 0. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 4. Receptor potential. Representative receptor potential evoked by a light flash (white light, 7.2 kW/m2, 10 µs duration). This figure has been modified from Barriga-Montoya, C, et al.2. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 5. Transduction current. Representative transduction current triggered by a light flash (white light, 7.2 kW/m2, 10 µs duration) applied with the voltage kept constant at the photoreceptor resting potential. Current latency, peak amplitude, and desensitization phase are indicated. This figure has been modified from Barriga-Montoya, C, et al.2. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 6. Two-pulse protocol. Currents elicited by a pair of light flashes. Light stimuli were applied at 0 ms and 700 ms (indicated by arrows). This figure has been modified from 2. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 7. Recovery from desensitization. (A) Ip: peak current recovery, (B) L: latency recovery, (C) T: Desensitization time constant T recovery. Experiments were performed at 0 h CT. This figure has been modified from Barriga-Montoya, C, et al.2. Results are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation of the number of experiments (n = 11). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 8. Recovery from desensitization as a function of CT. (A) Ip recovery, (B) L recovery, (C) Т recovery. (D) Weighted time constants. Biphasic processes are marked with an arrow. This figure has been modified from Barriga-Montoya, C, et al.2. Results are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation of the number of experiments (n = 11). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Supplemental Table 1. Please click here to view this table (Right click to download).
The crayfish has proven to be an excellent model due to its ability to survive under non-natural conditions. There is easy access to in vivo and in vitro electrophysiological analyses. In addition, crustaceans are a favorable group for neurobiological research in the field of comparative chronobiology21.
In this paper, the study of desensitization and recovery of the light-activated transduction-current of crayfish photoreceptor cells is shown using the intracellular recording technique. However, we believe that the same technique could be adapted to other invertebrate visual systems as long as it is possible to access photoreceptor cells.
To obtain acceptable experimental results, it is important to consider some critical steps in the protocol, including eliminating electrical noise by grounding all equipment, building an electrode with a sufficiently fine tip, and ensuring that the photoreceptor cell is completely dark-adapted before the two-pulse protocol begins.
Despite the limitations of intracellular recording such as the damage of membrane, it is possible to go further and obtain detailed information about the biophysical mechanism underlying crayfish (or another animal) photoreceptor electrical signal. As in other invertebrate photoreceptors, in crayfish photoreceptors, light triggers a graded depolarization, or receptor potential, produced by the activation of a cationic conductance. The light-activated conductance begins after a lag or latency, and after reaching its maximal amplitude, it slowly drops following an exponential time course, as the channels enter an absorbing desensitized state.
The kinetics of recovery from desensitization of the light-elicited ion conductance of crayfish were obtained using a two-light flash protocol (similar to the standard two-voltage pulse protocol used to study recovery from inactivation of voltage-gated channels)20. Interestingly, and in contrast to the well-known case of voltage-gated channels, not only the peak amplitude, but also all the current parameters (Ip, L, T) change after the first light stimulus, recovering with characteristic exponential time courses to the original, first flash values, as reported elsewhere20. This variation of all the parameters that characterize the current indicates the participation of second messengers in the visual transduction system of crayfish1,2,22,23,24.
Additionally, and interestingly, as Figure 8 shows, recovery of L, Ip, and T depends on the circadian time at which experiments are realized. Further studies are needed to determine the molecular basis of this phenomenon. Of course, it is possible to obtain similar information using another technique, such as patch clamp. However, the intracellular milieu can be greatly disturbed in other techniques, and this could be critical, if, for example, internal elements like proteins, amino acids, nucleotides, among many others, play a relevant role in the electrical signal generation or in the interaction with hormones or neuromodulators.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
This work was supported by DGAPA-UNAM IN224616-RN224616 grant. The authors want to thank Mrs. Josefina Bolado, Head of the Scientific Paper Translation Department, from División de Investigación at Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, for editing the English-language version of this manuscript.
Axoclamp2A | Axon Instruments Inc | Amplifier | |
Digidata 1200 Interface | Axon Instruments Inc | Digitizer | |
Oscilloscope TDS430A | Tektronix | Analogic Oscilloscope | |
Photostimulator PS33 Plus | Grass | Lamp | |
Puller PC-100 | Narishige | Micropipette Puller | |
Puller P-97 | Sutter Instruments | Micropipette Puller | |
Glass Capillary Tube Kimax-51 | Kimble Products | 34502 | 0.8, 1.10, 100 mm |
HS-2 Headstage | Axon Instruments Inc | Headstage | |
Micromanipulator MX-4 | Narishige | Mechanical Micromanipulator | |
Stereoscopic Microscope | Zeiss | Microscope | |
pClamp | Axon Instruments Inc | Data acquisition software for digidata 1200 interface | |
Clampfit | Axon Instruments Inc | Analysis software linked to pClamp | |
Origin | OriginLab Corp. | Data analysis and graphing software | |
Sodium Chloride | Sigma | S7653 | >99.5% |
Potassium Chloride | Sigma | P-9333 | Minimum 99% |
Magnesium Sulfate | Sigma | M7506 | Minimum 99.5% |
Calcium Chloride | Sigma | C5080 | Minimum 99.0% |
Hepes | Sigma | H7523 | >99.5% |
Sodium Hydroxide | Sigma | S8045 | 98.00% |
Sodium hypochlorite solution | Sigma | 425044 | Available chlorine, 10-15% |