Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1971 Sep;217(3):517–531. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009583

Rectification in instantaneous potassium current—voltage relations in Myxicola giant axons

L Binstock, L Goldman
PMCID: PMC1331560  PMID: 5098079

Abstract

1. Measurements of the instantaneous K current, under voltage clamp, were obtained using paired de- and hyperpolarizing clamp pulse sequences. The instantaneous potassium current—voltage relations so obtained showed constant field type rectification.

2. The zero current potential of the instantaneous K current—voltage relation, when examined as a function of the K concentration, [K]o, behaved like a Nernst concentration cell potential for K. It was concluded that during the generation of the delayed current, the membrane shows substantial selectivity for K.

3. The equivalent of the `Frankenhaeuser—Hodgkin space' in Myxicola was found to be more difficult to load with K ions than in squid. The thickness of the space may be taken as effectively about seven times larger than in squid.

4. Myxicola axons were found to show little or no long time constant delayed current inactivation as has been described for squid.

5. In high [K]o a negative steady-state conductance was observed which was predictable from the independence principle with a suitable scaling factor.

Full text

PDF
518

Selected References

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

  1. Adrian R. H., Chandler W. K., Hodgkin A. L. Voltage clamp experiments in striated muscle fibres. J Physiol. 1970 Jul;208(3):607–644. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1970.sp009139. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Binstock L., Goldman L. Current- and voltage-clamped studies on Myxicola giant axons. Effect of tetrodotoxin. J Gen Physiol. 1969 Dec;54(6):730–740. doi: 10.1085/jgp.54.6.730. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. COLE K. S. ELECTRODIFFUSION MODELS FOR THE MEMBRANE OF SQUID GIANT AXON. Physiol Rev. 1965 Apr;45:340–379. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1965.45.2.340. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COLE K. S., MOORE J. W. Liquid junction and membrane potentials of the squid giant axon. J Gen Physiol. 1960 May;43:971–980. doi: 10.1085/jgp.43.5.971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DODGE F. A., FRANKENHAEUSER B. Sodium currents in the myelinated nerve fibre of Xenopus laevis investigated with the voltage clamp technique. J Physiol. 1959 Oct;148:188–200. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006281. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ehrenstein G., Gilbert D. L. Slow changes of potassium permeability in the squid giant axon. Biophys J. 1966 Sep;6(5):553–566. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(66)86677-8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FRANKENHAEUSER B. Delayed currents in myelinated nerve fibres of Xenopus laevis investigated with voltage clamp technique. J Physiol. 1962 Jan;160:40–45. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1962.sp006832. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. FRANKENHAEUSER B., HODGKIN A. L. The after-effects of impulses in the giant nerve fibres of Loligo. J Physiol. 1956 Feb 28;131(2):341–376. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1956.sp005467. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. FRANKENHAEUSER B. Potassium permeability in myelinated nerve fibres of Xenopus laevis. J Physiol. 1962 Jan;160:54–61. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1962.sp006834. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gilbert D. S., Shaw T. I. Extrusion and perfusion of the giant nerve fibre of Myxicola infundibulum. J Physiol. 1969 Sep;204(1):28P–29P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Goldman D. E. POTENTIAL, IMPEDANCE, AND RECTIFICATION IN MEMBRANES. J Gen Physiol. 1943 Sep 20;27(1):37–60. doi: 10.1085/jgp.27.1.37. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Goldman L., Binstock L. Current separations in Myxicola giant axons. J Gen Physiol. 1969 Dec;54(6):741–754. doi: 10.1085/jgp.54.6.741. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Goldman L., Binstock L. Leak current rectification in Myxicola giant axons. Constant field and constant conductance components. J Gen Physiol. 1969 Dec;54(6):755–764. doi: 10.1085/jgp.54.6.755. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Goldman L. The effects of some ions on the membrane potential of the giant axon of Myxicola. J Cell Physiol. 1968 Feb;71(1):33–42. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1040710106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. HODGKIN A. L., HUXLEY A. F. A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve. J Physiol. 1952 Aug;117(4):500–544. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1952.sp004764. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. HODGKIN A. L., HUXLEY A. F. Currents carried by sodium and potassium ions through the membrane of the giant axon of Loligo. J Physiol. 1952 Apr;116(4):449–472. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1952.sp004717. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. HODGKIN A. L., HUXLEY A. F. The components of membrane conductance in the giant axon of Loligo. J Physiol. 1952 Apr;116(4):473–496. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1952.sp004718. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. HODGKIN A. L., KATZ B. The effect of sodium ions on the electrical activity of giant axon of the squid. J Physiol. 1949 Mar 1;108(1):37–77. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1949.sp004310. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. MOORE J. W. Excitation of the squid axon membrane in isosmotic potassium chloride. Nature. 1959 Jan 24;183(4656):265–266. doi: 10.1038/183265b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Moore J. W., Blaustein M. P., Anderson N. C., Narahashi T. Basis of tetrodotoxin's selectivity in blockage of squid axons. J Gen Physiol. 1967 May;50(5):1401–1411. doi: 10.1085/jgp.50.5.1401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Narahashi T., Haas H. G. Interaction of DDT with the components of lobster nerve membrane conductance. J Gen Physiol. 1968 Feb;51(2):177–198. doi: 10.1085/jgp.51.2.177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES