Membrane properties of isolated frog taste cells: three types of responsivity to electrical stimulation.

The whole cell clamp technique was applied to an isolated frog taste cell to examine the detailed membrane properties. The electrical responses could be classified into 3 types. The taste cells of the active type generated a large spike potential under current clamp and a large early inward current followed by a small outward current. The taste cells of the inactive type did not generate a spike but showed a small inward current followed by a large outward current. The distribution of each type was 15, 70 and 15%, respectively.