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. 1987 May;51(5):833–837. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(87)83410-0

Membrane potential induced by external electric field pulses can be followed with a potentiometric dye.

B Ehrenberg, D L Farkas, E N Fluhler, Z Lojewska, L M Loew
PMCID: PMC1329971  PMID: 3593876

Abstract

A potential-sensitive dye was recently used to measure the spatial variation in the membrane potential induced by an externally applied electric field. In this work, we demonstrate that the time course of these induced potentials can also be followed. Two experimental systems were explored. Dye fluorescence from HeLa cells could be modulated by a train of field pulses; the relative fluorescence change measured with a lock-in amplifier was linear with the field and similar to the fluorescence responses obtained in the static measurements. A model membrane system consisting of a hemispherical bilayer allowed convenient measurement of the dye absorbance change as a function of the bathing solution conductivity. The charging time of the membrane was inversely related to the aqueous conductance as predicted by the theoretical solution to Laplace's equation.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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