THE EFFECT OF ILLUMINATION ON THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTANCE OF RHODOPSIN SOLUTIONS

An apparatus was constructed in order to record continuously and simultaneously changes in extinction and electrical conductance of rhodopsin solutions. With this apparatus, changes in electrical conductance on exposing rhodopsin to light were investigated. On illumination solutions of rhodopsin revealed a conductance change so long as they preserved their photosensitivity. The conductance change begins almost immediately upon illumination and is almost proportional to the amount of rhodopsin decomposed, continuing until rhodopsin is converted to indicator yellow. Near pH 7 the conductance is apt to increase slightly, while it decreases considerably outside the range of pH 6–9, being accompanied by a pH change towards neutrality. The conductance change is regarded as an essential property of rhodopsin, because it occurs in aqueous suspension as well as in digitonin solution; it may be caused by hydrogen or hydroxyl ions and some other conductive substances. It is also noteworthy that the petroleum ether-soluble component of the rod outer segments—presumably the lipide—tends to increase the conductance change. In suspensions of rod outer segments and retinal homogenates, the conductance increases on illumination irrespective of pH: this may be due to secondary reactions following the photic reaction of rhodopsin. We shall discuss the significance of the conductance change in relation to the initiation of visual excitation.