Skip to main content
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1979 Jul;292:251–265. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1979.sp012849

Effects of internal potassium and sodium on the anomalous rectification of the starfish egg as examined by internal perfusion.

S Hagiwara, M Yoshii
PMCID: PMC1280856  PMID: 573790

Abstract

1. The effects of alterations of the intracellular ionic composition on the properties of anomalous (or inward) rectification of the egg membrane of the starfish, Mediaster aequalis, were studied by using an intracellular perfusion technique. The following results were obtained, analysing the membrane current with the voltage-clamp technique. 2. The inward rectification of the K conductance depends only on the membrane potential, V, when the K equilibrium potential, VK, is altered by changing the internal K+ concentration at a fixed external K+ concentration, while it depends on V-VK when VK is altered by changing the external K+ at a fixed internal K+ concentration. 3. From the above the conclusion is reached that the gating of the K channel of the inward rectification depends on V and external but not internal K+ concentration. 4. The conductance of the K channel at a given voltage is roughly proportional to the square root of [K+]i when the latter is altered at a fixed external K+ concentration. 5. Since the conductance is proportional to the square root of [K+]o when this is altered at a fixed internal K+ concentration, the final conclusion is that this conductance is proportional to the geometric mean of the external and internal K+ concentrations. 6. Intracellular Na+ ions are necessary for the activation of inward rectification; the K conductance increases sharply with internal Na+ concentration, reaching saturation at 200 mM. 7. A similar potentiating effect is found for Li+, although it is weaker. Rb+, Cs+ and organic cations such as arginine+ do not have this effect.

Full text

PDF
251

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. EISENMAN G., RUDIN D. O., CASBY J. U. Glass electrode for measuring sodium ion. Science. 1957 Oct 25;126(3278):831–834. doi: 10.1126/science.126.3278.831. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Hagiwara S., Miyazaki S., Krasne S., Ciani S. Anomalous permeabilities of the egg cell membrane of a starfish in K+-Tl+ mixtures. J Gen Physiol. 1977 Sep;70(3):269–281. doi: 10.1085/jgp.70.3.269. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hagiwara S., Miyazaki S., Rosenthal N. P. Potassium current and the effect of cesium on this current during anomalous rectification of the egg cell membrane of a starfish. J Gen Physiol. 1976 Jun;67(6):621–638. doi: 10.1085/jgp.67.6.621. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hagiwara S., Ozawa S., Sand O. Voltage clamp analysis of two inward current mechanisms in the egg cell membrane of a starfish. J Gen Physiol. 1975 May;65(5):617–644. doi: 10.1085/jgp.65.5.617. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hagiwara S., Takahashi K. The anomalous rectification and cation selectivity of the membrane of a starfish egg cell. J Membr Biol. 1974;18(1):61–80. doi: 10.1007/BF01870103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kostyuk P. G., Krishtal O. A., Shakhovalov Y. A. Separation of sodium and calcium currents in the somatic membrane of mollusc neurones. J Physiol. 1977 Sep;270(3):545–568. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1977.sp011968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kryshtal' O. A., Pidoplichko V. I. Vnutrikletochnaia perfuziia gigantskikh neironov ulitki. Neirofiziologiia. 1975;7(3):327–329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lee K. S., Akaike N., Brown A. M. Properties of internally perfused, voltage-clamped, isolated nerve cell bodies. J Gen Physiol. 1978 May;71(5):489–507. doi: 10.1085/jgp.71.5.489. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Miyazaki S. I., Ohmori H., Sasaki S. Potassium rectifications of the starfish oocyte membrane and their changes during oocyte maturation. J Physiol. 1975 Mar;246(1):55–78. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp010880. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Palmer L. G., Century T. J., Civan M. M. Activity coefficients of intracellular Na+ and K+ during development of frog oocytes. J Membr Biol. 1978 Apr 20;40(1):25–38. doi: 10.1007/BF01909737. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Steinhardt R. A., Lundin L., Mazia D. Bioelectric responses of the echinoderm egg to fertilization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 Oct;68(10):2426–2430. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.10.2426. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Takahashi K., Yoshii M. Effects of internal free calcium upon the sodium and calcium channels in the tunicate egg analysed by the internal perfusion technique. J Physiol. 1978 Jun;279:519–549. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1978.sp012360. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES