title: Electrical properties of the gap junctional membrane studied in rat liver cell pairs.
abstract: Cell pairs isolated from adult rat liver were used to study the electrical properties of gap junctions. Each cell of a cell pair was connected to a suction pipette so as to enable whole cell tight-seal recording. A double voltage-clamp approach was adopted to control the voltage gradient across the gap junction and measure the transjunctional current. The current-voltage relationship of the gap junctional membrane was linear over the voltage range tested (+/- 50 m V). Under control conditions, the resistance of the gap junction, rj, was 15 M omega (n = 27; range, 4.6 to 45.8 M omega), corresponding to a conductance gj of 67 nS. rj was insensitive to the nonjunctional membrane potential, Vm (voltage range,-90 m V to + 40 m V). There was no indication of a time-dependent gating of rj (time range, 20 ms to 10 s). Dialysis with 1 mM CaCl2 produced irreversible electrical uncoupling without affecting the linearity of the relationship Vj/Ij.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Reverdin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weingart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D007267:Injections; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium