Temperature dependence of gating current in myelinated nerve fibers

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Abstract
Asymmetrical displacement currents and Na currents of single myelinated nerve fibers ofXenopus laevis were studied in the temperature range from 5 to 24°C. The time constant of the on-response atE=4 mV,τ on, was strongly temperature dependent, whereas the amount of displaced charge atE=39 mV, Qon, was only slightly temperature dependent. The mean Q10 forτ on -1 was 2.54, the mean Q10 for Qon was 1.07. The time constant of charge immobilization,τ i , atE=4 mV varied significantly (α=0.001) with temperature. The mean Q10 forτ i -1 was 2.71±0.38. The time constants of immobilization of gating charge and of fast inactivation of Na permeability were similar in the temperature range from 6 to 22°C. The Qoff/Qon ratio forE=4 mV pulses of 0.5 msec duration decreased with increasing temperature. The temperature dependence of the time constant of the off-response could not be described by a single Q10 value, since the Q10 depended on the duration of the test pulse. Increasing temperature shifted Qon (E) curves to more negative potentials by 0.51 mVK −1, but shiftedP Na (E) curves andh ∞ (E) curves to more positive potentials by 0.43 and 0.57 mV K−1, respectively.h ∞ (E=−70 mV) increased monotonously with increasing temperature. The present data indicate that considerable entropy changes may occur when the Na channel molecule passes from closed through open to inactivated states.

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