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Analysis of leak current properties in the lobster stretch receptor neurone

Theander, S LU ; Fåhraeus, C LU and Grampp, W LU (1996) In Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 157(4). p.493-509
Abstract

Experiments were performed to characterize the so-called leak current of the slowly adapting stretch receptor neurone of the European lobster with respect to its ionic basis, its kinetics and its pharmacology. Estimates of the leak current were obtained by subtraction of a Na-K pump current and of an unspecific impalement current from a non-dynamic ('instantaneous') current, recorded in a voltage range from approximately -120 to approximately -30 mV, after blockage of spike-generating currents and a hyperpolarization-activated inwardly rectifying current (Q-current). The leak current, estimated in this way, was seen to reverse direction at the cell's K+ equilibrium voltage, thus indicating that it is carried by K+ passing through... (More)

Experiments were performed to characterize the so-called leak current of the slowly adapting stretch receptor neurone of the European lobster with respect to its ionic basis, its kinetics and its pharmacology. Estimates of the leak current were obtained by subtraction of a Na-K pump current and of an unspecific impalement current from a non-dynamic ('instantaneous') current, recorded in a voltage range from approximately -120 to approximately -30 mV, after blockage of spike-generating currents and a hyperpolarization-activated inwardly rectifying current (Q-current). The leak current, estimated in this way, was seen to reverse direction at the cell's K+ equilibrium voltage, thus indicating that it is carried by K+ passing through channels which, also, proved to be permeable to Rb+ and NH4+, but not permeable to Na+ or Cl- to any significant extent. Kinetically, the leak current was found to be characterized by being enhanced by increases in extracellular K+ and by being subject to outward rectification, most distinctly at elevated extracellular [K+]. In quantitative terms, these kinetic properties could be accounted for by a mathematical model comprising (1) a one-site two-barrier Eyring formulation describing ion permeation through membrane channels and (2) an ordinary dose-response relationship describing the channel-opening effect of K+ at an extracellular regulatory site. Pharmacologically, the leak current proved to be distinguished by being reversibly blockable, in a non-voltage dependent manner, by CO2+ (Kd = 0.9 mM, Hill coefficient 1.1) and procaine, but not by Ba2+, Gd3+, bupivacaine (a local anesthetic), or other K+ channel blockers such as TEA, 4-AP and Cs+. It is concluded that, in native unimpaled cells, the K+ carried leak current (1) is setting the resting voltage together with the (mainly) Na(+)-carried Q-current and the Na-K pump current, (2) is determining the cell's firing threshold, together with the spike generating currents, and (3) is also stabilizing the cell's membrane excitability in conditions of varying extracellular [K+], by virtue of its K+ sensitivity.

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publication status
published
keywords
Animals, Chlorides/metabolism, Cobalt/pharmacology, In Vitro Techniques, Ion Transport/drug effects, Kinetics, Mechanoreceptors/metabolism, Membrane Potentials/drug effects, Nephropidae/metabolism, Neurons/metabolism, Potassium/metabolism, Sodium/metabolism, Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/metabolism
in
Acta Physiologica Scandinavica
volume
157
issue
4
pages
17 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0029783195
  • pmid:8869733
ISSN
0001-6772
DOI
10.1046/j.1365-201X.1996.510271000.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
940a0180-afc7-4b7a-8aa7-944e33fae1ff
date added to LUP
2018-12-18 15:57:06
date last changed
2024-01-15 10:19:21
@article{940a0180-afc7-4b7a-8aa7-944e33fae1ff,
  abstract     = {{<p>Experiments were performed to characterize the so-called leak current of the slowly adapting stretch receptor neurone of the European lobster with respect to its ionic basis, its kinetics and its pharmacology. Estimates of the leak current were obtained by subtraction of a Na-K pump current and of an unspecific impalement current from a non-dynamic ('instantaneous') current, recorded in a voltage range from approximately -120 to approximately -30 mV, after blockage of spike-generating currents and a hyperpolarization-activated inwardly rectifying current (Q-current). The leak current, estimated in this way, was seen to reverse direction at the cell's K+ equilibrium voltage, thus indicating that it is carried by K+ passing through channels which, also, proved to be permeable to Rb+ and NH4+, but not permeable to Na+ or Cl- to any significant extent. Kinetically, the leak current was found to be characterized by being enhanced by increases in extracellular K+ and by being subject to outward rectification, most distinctly at elevated extracellular [K+]. In quantitative terms, these kinetic properties could be accounted for by a mathematical model comprising (1) a one-site two-barrier Eyring formulation describing ion permeation through membrane channels and (2) an ordinary dose-response relationship describing the channel-opening effect of K+ at an extracellular regulatory site. Pharmacologically, the leak current proved to be distinguished by being reversibly blockable, in a non-voltage dependent manner, by CO2+ (Kd = 0.9 mM, Hill coefficient 1.1) and procaine, but not by Ba2+, Gd3+, bupivacaine (a local anesthetic), or other K+ channel blockers such as TEA, 4-AP and Cs+. It is concluded that, in native unimpaled cells, the K+ carried leak current (1) is setting the resting voltage together with the (mainly) Na(+)-carried Q-current and the Na-K pump current, (2) is determining the cell's firing threshold, together with the spike generating currents, and (3) is also stabilizing the cell's membrane excitability in conditions of varying extracellular [K+], by virtue of its K+ sensitivity.</p>}},
  author       = {{Theander, S and Fåhraeus, C and Grampp, W}},
  issn         = {{0001-6772}},
  keywords     = {{Animals; Chlorides/metabolism; Cobalt/pharmacology; In Vitro Techniques; Ion Transport/drug effects; Kinetics; Mechanoreceptors/metabolism; Membrane Potentials/drug effects; Nephropidae/metabolism; Neurons/metabolism; Potassium/metabolism; Sodium/metabolism; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/metabolism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{493--509}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Physiologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Analysis of leak current properties in the lobster stretch receptor neurone}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-201X.1996.510271000.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1046/j.1365-201X.1996.510271000.x}},
  volume       = {{157}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}