Kinetics of acetylcholine activated ion channels in chick ciliary ganglion neurones grown in tissue culture

The acetylcholine activated conductance of chick ciliary ganglion neurones grown in tissue culture was studied by the patch clamp method. Single channel currents at 30 degrees C had a conductance of 38-42 pS, a reversal potential near + 10 mV and an average open lifetime of 1.08 ms (range 0.74 - 1.54 ms) at the resting potential. The presence of a single component in the distributions of amplitudes and open lifetimes, and also in the noise spectrum of voltage clamp currents, suggests that acetylcholine channels have uniform characteristics in these cells. Evidence of a desensitised state of the receptor was obtained from the distribution of gap intervals and the decline of voltage clamp current. These properties are similar to those of acetylcholine channels at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. However, two important differences were found. (a) The acetylcholine concentrations used here were 10-25 times higher than those required to produce a similar degree of channel activation at the endplate. (b) When the membrane was hyperpolarised the mean open lifetime of the channel showed no change or a slight reduction.