Electrophysiological Experiments With Photoisomerizable Cholinergic Compounds: Review and Progress Report

Many small molecules, both natural and synthetic, act on biological membranes by controlling ionic channels in the membrane. Our particular interest is the channel associated with the acetylcholine receptor in the postsynaptic membrane of the nicotinic synapse, where impulses are transferred from a nerve to a muscle fiber or (in some fishes) to an electroplaque. This synapse is a highly efficient electrochemical machine, specialized to function on a millisecond time scale. The immediate challenge is to understand the electrical and chemical regulation of receptor channels on this same time scale