Comparative measurements of membrane potentials with microelectrodes and voltage-sensitive dyes

Abstract

The usefulness of a new voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye, the membrane permeant negatively charged oxonol dye diBA-C4-(3)−, was evaluated by measuring the membrane potentials of BICR/M1R-k and L cells with glass microelectrodes and simultaneously recording the fluorescence of the stained cells. The membrane potential of BICR/M1R-k cells was varied between −25 mV and −90 mV by changing the bicarbonate concentration in the medium or by voltage clamping. To avoid any interference by the inserted electrodes with the fluorescence measurement of the cytoplasm, the cells were fused by polyethyleneglycol to form giant cells (homokaryons). These homokaryons also allowed penetration by two glass microelectrodes without causing a serious leakage of the plasma membrane. The slow responding dye diBA-C4-(3)− had a fluorescence response of about 1% per mV. Mathematical analysis of the fluorescence changes after voltage clamping revealed a first-order reaction with a rate constant between 0.1 min−1 and 0.8 min−1, depending on the cell size which was determined by the number of nuclei per homokaryon. A model for the mechanism of the fluorescence changes is proposed.