Calculations of Bioelectric Potentials: III. Variation in Partition Coefficients and Ion Mobilities

DIFFUSION POTENTIALS IN MODELS AND IN LIVING CELLS

The behavior of guaiacol resembles that of certain protoplasmic surfaces to such an extent that it can be advantageously used in models designed to imitate certain aspects of protoplasmic behavior. In these models the electrical potentials appear to consist of diffusion potentials and this may be true of certain living cells. In dealing with models we determine ionic mobilities and use these to predict potentials. In studying living cells we measure potentials and from these calculate ionic mobilities. The question arises, how far is this method justified. To test this we have treated guaiacol like a living cell, measuring potentials and from these estimating ionic mobilities. The results Justify the use of this method. This is of interest because the method is most useful in studying protoplasmic activity. In its extended form it enables us to follow changes in mobilities and in partition coefficients due to applied reagents and to metabolism.

NATURE OF THE ACTION CURRENT IN NITELLA : V. PARTIAL RESPONSE AND THE ALL-OR-NONE LAW

When a stimulus arrives before recovery is complete there may be no response or only a partial response. A typical response appears to involve an immediate loss of potential at the inner protoplasmic surface but not at the outer surface. As long as recovery is incomplete only a part of the total potential is located at the inner protoplasmic surface and the loss of this part of the total potential can cause only a partial response; i.e., one of smaller magnitude than the normal. Even after the action curve has returned to the base line recovery may be incomplete and the response only a partial one. The return of the action curve to the base line means a recovery of total potential but if part of this is located at the outer protoplasmic surface and if this part is not lost when stimulation occurs the response can be only a partial one. During recovery there is a shift of potential from the outer to the inner protoplasmic surface. Not until this shift is completed can recovery be called complete. The response to stimulation then becomes normal because the loss of potential reaches the normal amount. In many cases the partial responses appear to conform to the all-or-none law. In other cases this is doubtful.

STUDIES OF THE INNER AND OUTER PROTOPLASMIC SURFACES OF LARGE PLANT CELLS : II. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE VACUOLAR SURFACE

The vacuolar surface of Nitella is covered with a non-aqueous film too thin to be visible as a separate membrane. The motion of the protoplasm may subject this film to a good deal of mechanical disturbance. Apparently this does not rupture the film for no dye escapes into the protoplasm as the result of such disturbance when the vacuolar sap is deeply stained with neutral red or brilliant cresyl blue. When the deeply stained central vacuole breaks up into several smaller vacuoles, leaving the outer protoplasmic surface in its normal position, there is no evidence of the escape of dye into the protoplasm through the film surrounding the vacuole.

DIFFERING RATES OF DEATH AT INNER AND OUTER SURFACES OF THE PROTOPLASM : I. EFFECTS OF FORMALDEHYDE ON NITELLA

When protoplasm dies it becomes completely and irreversibly permeable and this may be used as a criterion of death. On this basis we may say that when 0.2 M formaldehyde plus 0.001 M NaCl is applied to Nitella death arrives sooner at the inner protoplasmic surface than at the outer. If, however, we apply 0.17 M formaldehyde plus 0.01 M KCl death arrives sooner at the outer protoplasmic surface. The difference appears to be due largely to the conditions at the two surfaces. With 0.2 M formaldehyde plus 0.001 M NaCl the inner surface is subject to a greater electrical pressure than the outer and is in contact with a higher concentration of KCl. In the other case these conditions are more nearly equal so that the layer first reached by the reagent is the first to become permeable. The outer protoplasmic surface has the ability to distinguish electrically between K⁺ and Na⁺ (potassium effect). Under the influence of formaldehyde this ability is lost. This is chiefly due to a falling off in the partition coefficient of KCl in the outer protoplasmic surface. At about the same time the inner protoplasmic surface becomes completely permeable. But the outer protoplasmic surface retains its ability to distinguish electrically between different concentrations of the same salt, showing that it has not become completely permeable. After the potential has disappeared the turgidity (hydrostatic pressure inside the cell) persists for some time, probably because the outer protoplasmic surface has not become completely permeable.

CALCULATIONS OF BIOELECTRIC POTENTIALS : IV. SOME EFFECTS OF CALCIUM ON POTENTIALS IN NITELLA

In Nitella the substitution of KCl for NaCl changes the P.D. in a negative direction. In some cases this change is lessened by adding solid CaCl₂ to the solution of KCl. This may be due to lessening the partition coefficient of KCl or to decreasing the solubility of an organic substance which sensitizes the cell to the action of KCl. Little or no correlation exists between this effect of calcium and its ordinary antagonistic action in producing a balanced solution which preserves the life of the cell indefinitely. CaCl₂ is negative to NaCl but positive to KCl. The effects of mixtures of KCl, NaCl, and CaCl₂ are discussed. The concentration effect of a mixture of KCl + CaCl₂ shows certain peculiarities due to action currents: these resemble those found with pure KCl. These studies and others on Nitella, Valonia, and Halicystis indicate that mobilities and partition coefficients are variable and can be brought under experimental control.

CHEMICAL RESTORATION IN NITELLA : IV. EFFECTS OF GUANIDINE

Leaching in distilled water may remove irritability and the potassium effect in Nitella but both of these may be restored by appropriate treatment with guanidine.

NATURE OF THE ACTION CURRENT IN NITELLA : VI. SIMPLE AND COMPLEX ACTION PATTERNS

The experiments indicate that the protoplasm of Nitella consists of an aqueous layer W with an outer non-aqueous surface layer X and an inner non-aqueous surface layer Y. The potential at Y is measured by the magnitude of the action curve and the potential at X by the distance from the top of the action curve to the zero line. These potentials appear to be due chiefly to diffusion potentials caused by the activity gradients of KCl across the non-aqueous layers X and Y. The relative mobilities of K(+) and Cl(-) in X and in Y can be computed and an estimate of the activity of KCl in W can be made. In the complete resting state the mobilities of K(+) and Cl(-) in X are not very different from those in Y. The action curve is due to changes in Y which suddenly becomes very permeable, allowing potassium to move from the sap across Y into W, and thus losing its potential. A gradual loss may be due to changes in ionic mobility in Y. When recovery is incomplete and Y has not yet regained its normal potential a stimulus may cause a loss of the potential at Y giving an action curve of small magnitude. The magnitude may vary in successive action curves giving what is called a complex pattern in contrast to the simple pattern observed when recovery is complete and all the action curves are alike. Complex patterns occur chiefly in cells treated with reagents. Untreated cells usually give simple patterns. A variety of complex action patterns is discussed. It is evident that the cells of Nitella show much more variation than such highly specialized cells as muscle and nerve which give stereotyped responses. In some cases it may be doubtful whether the all-or-none law holds.

EFFECTS OF HYDROXYL ON NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE CELLS OF NITELLA

Remarkable changes are brought about by KOH in transforming negative cells of Nitella (showing dilute solution negative with KOH) to positive cells (showing dilute solution positive with KOH). NaOH is less effective as a transforming agent. This might be explained on the ground that the protoplasm contains an acid (possibly a fatty acid) which makes the cell negative and which is dissolved out more rapidly by KOH than by NaOH, as happens with the fatty acids in ordinary soaps. Part of a negative cell can be changed to positive by exposure to KOH while the untreated portion remains negative. After exposure to KOH the potential the protoplasm has when in contact with NaCl may increase. At the same time there may be an increase in the potassium effect; i.e., in the change of P.D. in a positive direction observed when 0.01 M KCl is replaced by 0.01 M NaCl. In some cases the order of ionic mobilities is u_K > v_OH > u_Na. This shows that the protoplasmic surface cannot be a pore system: for in such a system all cations must have greater mobilities than all anions or vice versa.

DIFFERING RATES OF DEATH AT INNER AND OUTER SURFACES OF THE PROTOPLASM : III. EFFECTS OF MERCURIC CHLORIDE ON NITELLA

The inner and outer protoplasmic surfaces in Nitella may differ greatly in behavior. When 0.01 M HgCl(2) is applied externally death arrives first at the inner surface. But when 0.01 M HgCl(2) + 0.01 M KCl is applied death takes place sooner at the outer surface. Since 0.01 M KCl by itself is not toxic its effect may be to condition the surface layer chemically or by means of the diffusion potential it sets up (this may amount to 100 mv.). These surfaces consist of non-aqueous films forming the boundaries of a layer of aqueous protoplasm not over 10 microns in thickness. These and earlier experiments with formaldehyde and with chloroform show clearly that it is possible to control the behavior of the protoplasmic surfaces so that when a toxic agent is applied it may produce death more rapidly at the inner or at the outer surface according to experimental conditions.

STUDIES OF THE INNER AND OUTER PROTOPLASMIC SURFACES OF LARGE PLANT CELLS : I. PLASMOLYSIS DUE TO SALTS

In Nitella, Chara, Hydrodictyon, and Valonia the inner and outer non-aqueous protoplasmic surface layers can be separated by certain plasmolytic agents which penetrate the outer surface more rapidly than the inner and hence raise the osmotic pressure of the protoplasm lying between them and cause it to increase in thickness by taking up water from the central vacuole. We may therefore conclude that the two surfaces differ. This idea is confirmed by earlier electrical measurements which show that when sap is placed outside the cell the chain See PDF for Structure produces an E.M.F. of several millivolts.

INCREASED IRRITABILITY IN NITELLA DUE TO GUANIDINE

Guanidine applied to Nitella may lower the threshold of E.M.F. required to produce electrical stimulation and may give rise to trains of action currents. Its effect thus appears to be somewhat similar to that observed in animals. Rapid action currents are produced as well as "square topped" action curves and transitional forms. These effects may be due in part to increased protoplasmic conductivity produced by the penetration of guanidine.

CHANGES OF APPARENT IONIC MOBILITIES IN PROTOPLASM : IV. INFLUENCE OF GUAIACOL ON THE EFFECTS OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IN NITELLA

In Nitella, as in Halicystis, guaiacol increases the mobility of Na⁺ in the outer protoplasmic surface but leaves the mobility of K⁺ unaffected. This differs from the situation in Valonia where the mobility of Na⁺ is increased and that of K⁺ is decreased. The partition coefficient of Na⁺ in the outer protoplasmic surface is increased and that of K⁺ left unchanged. Recovery after the action current is delayed in the presence of guaiacol and the action curves are "square topped."