Development and plasticity of mitochondria and electrical properties of the cell membrane in blowfly photoreceptors

Blowfly photoreceptors are highly energy demanding sensory systems. Their information processing efficiency is enabled by the high temporal resolution of the cell membrane, requiring heavy metabolic support by the mitochondria. We studied the developmental changes of the mitochondrial apparatus and electrical properties of the photoreceptor membrane in the white eyed Calliphora vicina Chalky. Using in vivo microspectrophotometry and Western blot analysis, we found an age-dependent increase in the concentration of mitochondrial pigments. The maximal change occurred during the first week. The age-related changes were smaller in dark-bred than in light-bred flies. The mitochondrial pigment content increased after the switch from dark to light rearing and decreased after the switch from light to dark rearing. The electrical parameters of the photoreceptors were investigated with intracellular recordings. The resting membrane resistance and time constant decreased significantly after eclosion. The decrease was again most significant during the first week of adult life, paralleled with changes in the Na/K pump-dependent hyperpolarizing afterpotential. We conclude that the photoreceptor mitochondria exhibit remarkable ontogenetic and phenotypic plasticity, because the quantity of mitochondrial pigments tightly follows the development of the cell membrane as well as the energy demands of the photoreceptors under different rearing conditions.