Summary
Voltage clamp studies show that the wild-type membrane ofParamecium tetraurelia contains a conductance component which is sensitive to hyperpolarization. This component manifests itself as “anomalous”, or “inward going”, rectification of membrane voltage in response to applied constant current pulses and as a “hyperpolarizing spike” when no K is added to the external solution (Y. Satow, C. Kung, 1977.J. Comp. Physiol. 119∶99). Like the conductances which underlie anomalous rectification in other cells, the hyperpolarization-sensitive conductance inParamecium is specific for K, and the magnitude of the voltage-dependent conductance change depends not only on voltage but also on external potassium concentration. The internal potassium ion concentration ofParamecium is calculated to be between 17 and 18mm.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adrian, R.H. 1958. The effects of membrane potential and external potassium concentration on the potassium permeability of muscle fibres.J. Physiol. (London) 143:59P
Adrian, R.H. 1960. Potassium chloride movement and the membrane potential of frog muscle.J. Physiol. (London) 151:154
Adrian, R.H. 1964. The rubidium and potassium permeability of frog muscle membrane.J. Physiol. (London) 173:134
Adrian, R.H. 1969. Rectification in muscle membrane.Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 19:339
Adrian, R.H., Freygang, W.H. 1962a. The potassium and chloride conductance of frog muscle membrane.J. Physiol. (London) 163:61
Adrian, R.H., Freygang, W.H. 1962b. Potassium conductance of frog muscle membrane under controlled voltage.J. Physiol. (London) 163:104
Armstrong, C.M. 1975. Potassium pores of nerve and muscle membranes.In: Membranes, A Series of Advances. George Eisenmann, editor. Vol. 3, pp. 325–358. Marcel Dekker, New York
Armstrong, C.M., Binstock, L. 1965. Anomalous rectification in squid giant axon injected with tetraethylammonium chloride.J. Gen. Physiol. 48:859
Baumann, G., Mueller, P. 1974. A molecular model of membrane excitability.J. Supramol. Struct. 2:538
Chang, S.-Y., Kung, C. 1973a. Temperature-sensitive pawns: Conditional behavioral mutants ofParamecium aurelia.Science 180:1197
Chang, S.-Y., Kung, C. 1973b. Genetic analyses of heat-sensitive pawn mutants ofParamecium aurelia.Genetics 75:49
Chang, S.-Y., Van Houten, J., Robles, L.J., Lui, S.S., Kung, C. 1974. An extensive behavioural and genetic analysis of the pawn mutants inParamecium aurelia.Genet. Res. 23:165
Dunlap, K. 1977. Localization of calcium channels inParamecium caudatum.J. Physiol. (London) 271:119
Eckert, R. 1972. Bioelectric control of ciliary activity.Science 176:473
Eckert, R., Naitoh, Y. 1970. Passive electrical properties ofParamecium and problems of ciliary coordination.J. Gen. Physiol. 55:467
Grundfest, H. 1966. Comparative electrobiology of excitable membranes.In: Advances in Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry. O. Lowenstein, editor. Academic Press, New York
Hagiwara, S., Miyazaki, S., Rosenthal, N.P. 1976. Potassium current and the effect of cesium on this current during anomalous rectification.J. Gen. Physiol. 67:621
Hansma, H. 1974. Biochemical studies on the behavioral mutants ofParamecium aurelia: Ion fluxes and ciliary membrane proteins. Ph.D. Thesis, p. 58. University of California at Santa Barbara
Hodgkin, A.L., Huxley, A.F. 1952. The components of membrane conductance in the giant axon ofLoligo.J. Physiol. (London) 116:473
Horowicz, P., Gage, P.W., Eisenburg, R.S. 1968. The role of the electrochemical gradient in determining potassium fluxes in frog striated muscle.J. Gen. Physiol. 51:193S
Katz, B. 1949. Les constantes electriques de la membrane du muscle.Arch. Sci. Physiol. 3:285
Kung, C. 1971a. Genic mutations with altered system of excitation inParamecium aurelia. I. Phenotypes of the behavioural mutants.Z. Vgl. Physiol. 71:142
Kung, C. 1971b. Genic mutants with altered system of excitation inParamecium aurelia. II. Mutagenesis, screening and genetic analysis of the mutants.Genetics 69:29
Kung, C., Chang, S.-Y., Satow, Y., Van Houten, J., Hansma, H. 1975. Genetic dissection of behavior inParamecium.Science 188:898
Kung, C., Eckert, R. 1972. Genetic modification of electric properties in an excitable membrane.Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 69:93
Kung, C., Naitoh, Y. 1972. Calcium-induced ciliary reversal in the extracted models of “pawn”, a behavioral mutant ofParamecium.Science 179:195
Machemer, H. 1976. Interactions of membrane potential and cations in regulation of ciliary activity inParamecium.J. Exp. Biol. 65:427
Machemer, H., Eckert, R. 1975. Ciliary frequency and orientation responses to clamped voltage steps inParamecium.J. Comp. Physiol. 104:247
Meech, R.W., Standen, N.B. 1975. Potassium activation inHelix aspersa neurones under voltage clamp: A component mediated by calcium influx.J. Physiol. (London) 249:211
Miyazaki, S., Ohmori, H., Sasaki, S. 1975a. Action potential and non-linear current-voltage relation in starfish oocytes.J. Physiol. (London) 246:37
Miyazaki, S., Ohmori, H., Sasaki, S. 1975b. Potassium rectifications of the starfish oocyte membrane and their changes during oocyte maturation.J. Physiol. (London) 246:55
Miyazaki, S., Takahashi, K., Tsuda, K., Yoshii, M. 1974. Analysis of non-linearity observed in the current-voltage relation of the tunicate embryo.J. Physiol. (London) 238:55
Naitoh, Y., Eckert, R. 1968. Electrical properties ofParamecium caudatum: Modification by bound and free cations.Z. Vgl. Physiol. 61:427
Naitoh, Y., Eckert, R. 1972. Electrophysiology of ciliate protozoa.Exp. Physiol. Biochem. 5:17
Naitoh, Y., Eckert, R. 1973. Sensory mechanisms inParamecium. II. Ionic basis of the hyperpolarizing mechanoreceptor potential.J. Exp. Biol. 59:53
Nakajima, S., Iwasaki, S., Obata, K. 1962. Delayed rectification and anomalous rectification in frog's skeletal muscle membrane.J. Gen. Physiol. 46:97
Nakamura, Y., Nakajima, S., Grundfest, H. 1965. Analysis of spike electrogenesis and depolarizing K inactivation in electroplaques ofElectrophorus electricus, L.J. Gen. Physiol. 49:321
Noble, D. 1962. A modification of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations applicable to Purkinje fibre action and pacemaker potentials.J. Physiol. (London) 160:317
Oertel, D., Schein, S.J., Kung, C. 1977. Separation of membrane currents using aParamecium mutant.Nature (London) 268:120
Satow, Y., Chang, S.-Y., Kung, C. 1974. Membrane excitability: Made temperature-dependent by mutations.Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 71:2703
Satow, Y., Hansma, H., Kung, C. 1976. The effect of sodium on “Paranoiac”—A membrane mutant ofParamecium.Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 54A:323
Satow, Y., Kung, C. 1976a. A ‘TEA+-insensitive’ mutant with increased potassium conductance inParamecium aurelia.J. Exp. Biol. 65:51
Satow, Y., Kung, C. 1976b. A mutant ofParamecium with increased relative resting potassium permeability.J. Neurobiol. 7:325
Satow, Y., Kung, C. 1976c. Mutants with reduced Ca activation inParamecium aurelia.J. Membrane Biol. 28:277
Satow, Y., Kung, C. 1977. A regenerative hyperpolarization inParamecium.J. Comp. Physiol. 119:99
Schein, S.J. 1976a. Nonbehavioral selection for pawns, mutants ofParamecium aurelia with decreased excitability.Genetics 84:453
Schein, S.J. 1976b. Calcium channel stability measured by gradual loss of excitability in pawn mutants ofParamecium aurelia.J. Exp. Biol. 65:725
Schein, S.J., Bennett, M.V.L., Katz, G. 1976. Altered calcium conductance in pawns, behavioural mutants ofParamecium aurelia.J. Exp. Biol. 65:699
Sonneborn, T.M. 1975. TheParamecium aurelia complex of 14 sibling species.Trans. Am. Microsc. Soc. 94:155
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Oertel, D., Schein, S.J. & Kung, C. A potassium conductance activated by hyperpolarization in paramecium. J. Membrain Biol. 43, 169–185 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01933477
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01933477