The Journal of General Physiology
World Precision Insruments
  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF, 1642K)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Services
Right arrow Email this article
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new content in the JGP
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Chandler, W. K.
Right arrow Articles by Hui, C. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Chandler, W. K.
Right arrow Articles by Hui, C. S.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

The Journal of General Physiology, Vol 96, 225-256, Copyright © 1990 by The Rockefeller University Press


ARTICLES

Membrane capacitance in frog cut twitch fibers mounted in a double vaseline-gap chamber

WK Chandler and CS Hui
Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.

In experiments on cut muscle fibers mounted in a double Vaseline-gap chamber, electrical measurements are usually made by measuring the voltage V1(t) in one end pool and by passing current I2(t) from the other end pool to the central pool, which is usually clamped to earth potential. The voltage in the current-passing end pool is denoted by V2(t). This article describes how the value of the holding current, Ih, and the values of delta V2(infinity)/delta V1(infinity) and delta I2(infinity)/delta V1(infinity) that are associated with a small change in V1(t) can be used to estimate the linear cable parameters rm, ri, and re in a cut fiber that has been equilibrated with a Cs-containing internal solution. rm, ri, and re represent, respectively, the resistance of the plasma membranes, the internal longitudinal resistance, and the external longitudinal resistance under the Vaseline seals, all for a unit length of fiber. The apparent capacitance, Capp, of the preparation is defined to equal integral of infinity 0 delta I2,tr(t) dt/delta V1(infinity), in which delta I2,tr(t) represents the transient component of current that is associated with a change in V1(t) of amplitude delta V1(infinity). A method is described to estimate cm, the capacitance of the plasma membranes per unit length of fiber, from Capp and the values of rm, ri, and re. In experiments carried out with a tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA.Cl) solution at 13- 14 degrees C in the central pool, cm remained stable for as long as 3-4 h. The values of cm, 0.19 microF/cm on average, and their variation with fiber diameter are similar to published results from intact fibers. This article also describes the different pathways that are taken by the current that flows from the current-passing end pool to the central pool. Approximately two-thirds of delta I2,tr(t) flows across the capacitance of the plasma membranes in the central-pool region. The rest flows either across plasma membranes that are under the two Vaseline seals or directly from the current-passing end pool to the central pool, across the external longitudinal resistance under the Vaseline seal. [There is also a current that flows directly from the voltage-measuring end pool to the central pool but this does not contribute to delta I2,tr(t).]
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
P. C. Pape, K. Fenelon, C. R. H. Lamboley, and D. Stachura
Role of calsequestrin evaluated from changes in free and total calcium concentrations in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of frog cut skeletal muscle fibres
J. Physiol., May 15, 2007; 581(1): 319 - 367.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Biophys. JHome page
C. S. Hui
Association of the I{gamma} and I{delta} Charge Movement with Calcium Release in Frog Skeletal Muscle
Biophys. J., February 1, 2005; 88(2): 1030 - 1045.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]



  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents