Genetic Modification of Electric Properties in an Excitable Membrane

Abstract

A behavioral deficiency produced by a single gene mutation in Paramecium aurelia was traced to impaired electric excitability of the cell membrane. Evidence is presented that the mutant membrane does not exhibit the normal depolarization-activated increase in calcium conductance responsible for regenerative depolarization in the wild type. Other electric properties characteristic of the wild-type membrane remain normal in the mutant.