Receptor potentials of lizard hair cells with free-standing stereocilia: responses to acoustic clicks

Abstract

Receptor potentials of single hair cells in the free-standing region of the basilar papilla of the anaesthetized alligator lizard were measured intracellularly with micropipettes. Stimuli were primarily acoustic pulses (clicks) delivered to the tympanic membrane. The receptor potential was independent of click repetition rate for the range 10-150 clicks/s. This property is presumed to be the basis of the rate independence of the extracellular cochlear microphonic potential. The receptor potential wave-form consisted of a fast oscillatory component (or oscillation) superimposed on a usually positive (depolarizing) slow component. Reversal of the stimulus polarity resulted in a reversal of the polarity of the oscillations; the polarity of the slow component remained unchanged. The relative magnitudes of the two components depended on click level. At the higher click levels the magnitudes of the slow and oscillatory components were comparable. The relation of the receptor potential to the stimulus was non-linear; the peak-to-peak magnitude of the receptor potential increased less than proportionately with increasing sound-pressure level, and reversal of the stimulus polarity did not result in a reversal of the receptor potential. The receptor-potential magnitude for high-level clicks ranged from 1-13 mV peak-to-peak with an average value of 3.5 mV. At the lower click levels the magnitude of the slow component was much smaller than that of the oscillatory component. The relation of the receptor potential to the acoustic stimulus approached that of a linear system, the magnitude of the receptor potential became approximately proportional to the sound-pressure level, and reversal of the stimulus polarity resulted in approximate reversal of the receptor potential. For low-level stimuli the frequency of the oscillations of the receptor potential in response to clicks was approximately equal to the frequency of maximal a.c. response to tones. Apparently, both phenomena reflect the frequency selectivity of the processes generating the receptor potential. The frequency of oscillations in the click response varied from one cell to another (range of 1.0-2.2 kHz in this study). The results are qualitatively consistent with a model (Weiss, Mulroy & Altmann, 1974) that contains a linear, band-pass filter followed by a rectifier followed by a low-pass filter.