Two-component Desensitization of Three Types of Responses of Acetylcholine in Aplysia

Both the onset of and recovery from desensitization of three types of responses to acetylcholine in Aplysia californica occurred by biphasic kinetics. The fast component of onset recovered at a slower rate than the slow component of onset. The rates of onset and recovery were widely different when the three response types were compared. These data suggest that receptor properties determine two components in the desensitization process that are similar for all three responses, while the channel determines the rates of these processes.