Recording extracellular signals in plants: A modeling and experimental study

The purpose of this work was to determine the relationship between intracellular and extracellular potential in plant cells and clarify the characteristic of extracellular measurement. Importantly, we aimed to explain the interesting phenomenon that the results using extracellular recording were significantly different from those of many research groups. We proposed a model to describe the relationship between intracellular measurement and extracellular measurement. To verify the model, simulations and experiments were performed. In the experiments, intracellular and extracellular recordings were obtained from Vicia faba L. cells using a multi-channel electrophysiological recording system. The experimental results indicated that extracellular potential could be calculated using the model and the amplitude of observed signals, and for one cell this was dozens of microvolts, but complex for multi-cells. The spatiotemporal features of extracellular recording were also verified by the experimental results. The model revealed a quantity relationship with the intracellular and extracellular potential of plant cells, and the superposition characteristic was explained.