Skip to main content
The Journal of General Physiology logoLink to The Journal of General Physiology
. 1967 Nov 1;50(10):2333–2355. doi: 10.1085/jgp.50.10.2333

Some Factors Influencing Sodium Extrusion by Internally Dialyzed Squid Axons

L J Mullins 1, F J Brinley Jr 1
PMCID: PMC2225663  PMID: 4228931

Abstract

Squid giant axons were internally dialyzed by a technique previously described. In an axon exposed to cyanide seawater for 1 hr and dialyzed with an ATP-free medium, the Na efflux had a mean value of 1.3 pmole/cm2sec when [Na]i was 88 mM, in quantitative agreement with flux ratio calculations for a purely passive Na movement. When ATP at a concentration of 5–10 mM was supplied to the axoplasm by dialysis, Na efflux rose almost 30-fold, while if phosphoarginine, 10 mM, was supplied instead of ATP, the Na efflux rose only about 15-fold. The substitution of Li for Na in the seawater outside did not affect the Na efflux from an axon supplied with ATP, while a change to K-free Na seawater reduced the Na efflux to about one-half. When special means were used to free an axon of virtually all ADP, the response of the Na efflux to dialysis with phosphoarginine (PA) at 10 mM was very small (an increment of ca. 3 pmole/cm2sec) and it can be concluded that more than 96% of the Na efflux from an axon is fueled by ATP rather than PA. Measurements of [ATP] in the fluid flowing out of the dialysis tube when the [ATP] supplied was 5 mM made it possible to have a continuous measurement of ATP consumption by the axon. This averaged 43 pmole/cm2sec. The ATP content of axons was also measured and averaged 4.4 mM. Estimates were made of the activities of the following enzymes in axoplasm: ATPase, adenylate kinase, and arginine phosphokinase. Values are scaled to 13°C.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.3 MB).

Selected References

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

  1. Baker P. F., Shaw T. I. A comparison of the phosphorus metabolism of intact squid nerve with that of the isolated axoplasm and sheath. J Physiol. 1965 Sep;180(2):424–438. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007710. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brinley F. J., Jr, Mullins L. J. Sodium extrusion by internally dialyzed squid axons. J Gen Physiol. 1967 Nov;50(10):2303–2331. doi: 10.1085/jgp.50.10.2303. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CALDWELL P. C., HODGKIN A. L., KEYNES R. D., SHAW T. I. Partial inhibition of the active transport of cations in the giant axons of Loligo. J Physiol. 1960 Jul;152:591–600. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1960.sp006510. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CALDWELL P. C., HODGKIN A. L., KEYNES R. D., SHAW T. I. THE RATE OF FORMATION AND TURNOVER OF PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS IN SQUID GIANT AXONS. J Physiol. 1964 May;171:119–131. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007366. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CALDWELL P. C., HODGKIN A. L., KEYNES R. D., SHAW T. L. The effects of injecting 'energy-rich' phosphate compounds on the active transport of ions in the giant axons of Loligo. J Physiol. 1960 Jul;152:561–590. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1960.sp006509. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FRUMENTO A. S., MULLINS L. J. POTASSIUM-FREE EFFECT IN SQUID AXONS. Nature. 1964 Dec 26;204:1312–1313. doi: 10.1038/2041312b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. MORRISON J. F., GRIFFITHS D. E., ENNOR A. H. The purification and properties of arginine phosphokinase. Biochem J. 1957 Jan;65(1):143–153. doi: 10.1042/bj0650143. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Sjodin R. A., Beaugé L. A. The ion selectivity and concentration dependence of cation coupled active sodium transport in squid giant axons. Curr Mod Biol. 1967 May;1(2):105–115. doi: 10.1016/0303-2647(67)90022-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES