Cell Compression Induces Receptor Potential through Membrane Expansion Caused by an Increase in Intracellular Pressure.

Abstract

Characean internodal cell generates a receptor potential when it is mechanically stimulated. We have assumed that the generation of receptor potential takes place only at the stimulated portion. An applied stimulus, however, should propagate to the everywhere of the cell through a change of intracellular pressure. In this study, we studied whether the receptor potential is restricted at the stimulated portion or not.
Surprisingly, a change in membrane potential was also observed at the non-stimulated portion with no delay. Furthermore, amplitude of the change was statistically larger at the non-stimulated portion than at the stimulated one. Thus, we strongly suggest that the response in membrane potential against the cell compression is induced by a membrane expansion which occurs allover the cell by an increase of intracellular pressure during the compression.