Skip to main content
The Journal of General Physiology logoLink to The Journal of General Physiology
. 1959 Sep 1;43(1):55–79. doi: 10.1085/jgp.43.1.55

Muscle: A Three Phase System

The partition of monovalent ions across the cell membrane

Shirley E Simon 1,2,3, B M Johnstone 1,2,3, K H Shankly 1,2,3, F H Shaw 1,2,3
PMCID: PMC2194968  PMID: 14446942

Abstract

The partition of Li+, Br-, and I- across the membrane of the sartorius muscle of the toad Bufo marinus has been investigated both at the steady state and with kinetic methods. Li+ was found to have access to an amount of muscle water similar to that of Na+. Br- and I- could be regarded as being interchangeable with cellular Cl-. None of the foreign ions caused significant losses of cellular K+. Li+ efflux from the cell was slower in muscles which were equilibrated for long periods in Li+ than in short equilibrated muscles. Na+ efflux from Li+-treated muscles was similar in rate to normal controls, but the amount of Na+ in the slow fraction was increased by Li+. I- efflux was extremely rapid, and it was not possible to differentiate kinetically between intra- and extracellular material. These results have been found to be consistent with the hypothesis of a three phase system for muscle.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.4 MB).

Selected References

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

  1. BRINER G. P., SIMON S. E., SHAW F. H. The distribution of inorganic phosphate in amphibian muscle. J Gen Physiol. 1958 Mar 20;41(4):755–766. doi: 10.1085/jgp.41.4.755. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CAREY M. J., CONWAY E. J. Comparison of various media for immersing frog sartorii at room temperature, and evidence for the regional distribution of fibre Na+. J Physiol. 1954 Aug 27;125(2):232–250. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1954.sp005154. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. EDWARDS C., HARRIS E. J., NISHIE K. The exchange of frog muscle Na+ and K+ in the presence of the anions Br-, NO3-, I- and CNS-. J Physiol. 1957 Mar 11;135(3):560–566. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1957.sp005730. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. HARRIS E. J. Anion interaction in frog muscle. J Physiol. 1958 Apr 30;141(2):351–365. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1958.sp005979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HARRIS E. J., STEINBACH H. B. The extraction of ions from muscle by water and sugar solutions with a study of the degree of exchange with tracer of the sodium and potassium in the extracts. J Physiol. 1956 Aug 28;133(2):385–401. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1956.sp005594. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HOLMAN M. E., JOHNSTONE B. M., SHAW F. H., SIMON S. E. The effect of changes of environment on the electrical and ionic pattern of muscle. J Gen Physiol. 1956 Nov 20;40(2):263–288. doi: 10.1085/jgp.40.2.263. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. JENERICK H. P. Muscle membrane potential, resistance, and external potassium chloride. J Cell Physiol. 1953 Dec;42(3):427–448. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1030420309. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. JOHNSON J. A. Sodium exchange in the frog heart ventricle. Am J Physiol. 1957 Dec;191(3):487–492. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1957.191.3.487. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KEYNES R. D., MAISEL G. W. The energy requirement for sodium extrusion from a frog muscle. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1954 May 27;142(908):383–392. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1954.0031. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KRNJEVIC K. The distribution of Na and K in cat nerves. J Physiol. 1955 Jun 28;128(3):473–488. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1955.sp005319. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. LUBIN M. The effect of iodide and thiocyanate ions on the mechanical and electrical properties of frog muscle. J Cell Physiol. 1957 Apr;49(2):335–349. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1030490214. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. ROBERTSON J. S. Theory and use of tracers in determining transfer rates in biological systems. Physiol Rev. 1957 Apr;37(2):133–154. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1957.37.2.133. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. SHAW F. H., HOLMAN M., MACKENZIE J. G. The action of yohimbine on nerve and muscle of amphibia. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1955 Aug;33(4):497–505. doi: 10.1038/icb.1955.51. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SHAW F. H., SIMON S. E. Sodium extrusion in muscle. Nature. 1955 Nov 26;176(4491):1031–1032. doi: 10.1038/1761031b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SIMON S. E., SHAW F. H., BENNETT S., MULLER M. The relationship between sodium, potassium, and chloride in amphibian muscle. J Gen Physiol. 1957 May 20;40(5):753–777. doi: 10.1085/jgp.40.5.753. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. VAN DER KLOOT W. G. The effect of enzyme inhibitors on the resting potential and on the ion distribution of the sartorius muscle of the frog. J Gen Physiol. 1958 May 20;41(5):879–900. doi: 10.1085/jgp.41.5.879. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. ZERAHN K. Studies on the active transport of lithium in the isolated frog skin. Acta Physiol Scand. 1955 Aug 19;33(4):347–358. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1955.tb01214.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of General Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES