DIFFERENTIAL-PULSE VOLTAGE BIOLUMINESCENCE FOR PROBING THE CELLS OF LAMPITO-MAURITII

The coelomic cells of Lampito mauritii have a built-in mechanism for g enerating photons through biochemical reactions. Inside the cell there are several electroactive centres such as the bases of nucleic acids and nucleosides. However, shielding of these centres by the cell membr ane and nucleus membrane prevents one for observing the electrochemica l activity. Hence to obtain data on these centres, the cell wall needs to be opened for accessing the electron transfer reactions. This is a chieved by using rectangular voltage pulses superimposed on a linear v oltage scan. Here we examine the coelomic cells by differential pulse voltage bioluminescence as a function of the pH of the medium. In this technique of a rectangular voltage pulse and about 40 ms after the pu lse has been applied. The difference in bioluminescence is plotted as a function of the sweep voltage. A well-defined bioluminescence maximu m due to the oxidizable centres is observed with this probing techniqu e.