Genetic Modification of Electric Properties in an Excitable Membrane

  1. Ching Kung* and
  2. Roger Eckert
  1. Department of Zoology, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif. 90024
  2. Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif. 90024

Abstract

A behavioral deficiency produced by a single gene mutation in Paramecium aurelia was traced to impaired electric excitability of the cell membrane. Evidence is presented that the mutant membrane does not exhibit the normal depolarization-activated increase in calcium conductance responsible for regenerative depolarization in the wild type. Other electric properties characteristic of the wild-type membrane remain normal in the mutant.

Footnotes

  • ↵ * Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Calif. 93017.

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  1. PNAS January 1, 1972 vol. 69 no. 1 93-97
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