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. 1986 Nov;50(5):843–853. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(86)83525-1

Control of cytoplasmic calcium with photolabile tetracarboxylate 2-nitrobenzhydrol chelators.

R Y Tsien, R S Zucker
PMCID: PMC1329809  PMID: 3098316

Abstract

This paper introduces nitr-2, a new Ca2+ chelator designed to release Ca2+ upon illumination with near UV (300-400 nm) light. Before illumination nitr-2 has Ca2+ dissociation constants of 160 and 630 nM in 0.1 and 0.3 M ionic strength respectively; after photoconversion to a nitrosobenzophenone the values shift to 7 and 18 microM, high enough to liberate substantial amounts of Ca2+ under intracellular conditions. The speed of release is limited by a dark reaction with rate constant 5 s-1. Aplysia central neurons injected with nitr-2 and exposed to UV light exhibit two separate Ca2+-dependent membrane currents: one carried by potassium ions and one a nonspecific cation current. A quantitative estimate of the spatial distribution of intracellular [Ca2+] changes in large cells filled with a high concentration of nitr-2 and exposed to an intense UV flash is offered.

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Selected References

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