Interaction of light and chlorobutanol on Limulus ventral photoreceptor potential latency.

Exposure of Limulus ventral photoreceptors to light or to chlorobutanol produces a shortening of the latent period of the receptor potential. The latency shortening effect of chlorobutanol (0.5 mM) is maximal in dark adapted photoreceptors and decreases progressively as the level of light adaptation increases. At the highest usable levels of light adaptation, the latencies of receptor potentials from cells exposed only to sea water containing chlorobutanol were virtually identical. This confluence of the latent periods suggests that light and chlorobutanol may affect the same component of the latent period.