Chloride efflux in single barnacle muscle fibres

1. A study has been made of the behaviour of the radiochloride efflux in single muscle fibres from the barnacle, Balanus nubilus. 2. In the majority of the fibres studied, the fractional rate constant for 36Cl efflux is a constant and unaffected by the injection of distilled water (approximately 0 . 3 microliter. in volume). 3. Acidification of the HCO3(-)-containing medium causes stimulation of the Cl efflux, the threshold value being pH 7 . 0. The magnitude of the response is a logarithmic function of the external H+ and HCO3 concentration over a wide concentration range. 4. (i) Total replacement of the external Cl and NO3 fails to alter the course of the Cl efflux. However, the magnitude of the response to acidification is reduced to a marked degree. (ii) Replacement of the external Na by Li reduces not only the Cl efflux but also the size of the response to acidification. 5. Injection of HCl, HCO3 or KCl fails to alter the Cl efflux. Injection, however, of 4 M-KCl or NaCl causes a fall in the efflux. 6. 10( 4)M-ouabain is ineffective. It also fails to alter the response of the Cl efflux to acidification. 7. (i) Injection of cyclic AMP stimulates the Cl efflux in a dose-dependent manner, but only transitorily. (ii) Preinjection of pure protein kinase inhibitor causes a marked reduction in the magnitude of the response to cyclic AMP. 8. Preinjection of pure protein kinase inhibitor fails to affect the response to external acidification. 9. (i) Pretreatment externally with ethacrynic acid reduces the response to external acidification. (ii) External application of 4-acetoamineo-4'-isothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulphonate (SITS) reduces the resting Cl efflux. It also abolishes completely the response to acidification. (iii) The effect of 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulphonate (DIDS) resembles that of SITS. (iv) Injection of H2DIDS fails to reduce the resting efflux but tends to reduce the magnitude of the response to acidification. 10. (i) 5 X 10(-4) M-benzolamide is without effect on the basal Cl efflux. (ii) Benzolamide in high concentration reduces the magnitude of the response to acidification. This occurs within a rather narrow concentration range. 11. (i) A sudden reduction in environmental temperature from 24 to 0 degrees C causes a marked fall in the Cl efflux. (ii) Acidification of the artificial sea water at 0 degrees C stimulates the efflux. 12. The present experiments have led to evidence which is consistent with the view that the Cl efflux is modulated by at least two distinct mechanisms: one is responsive to acidification when HCO3 as buffer is present and involves participation of a benzolamide-sensitive component presumably lying in the fibre membrane. The other is responsive to injection of cyclic AMP, and, and probably involves cyclic AMP-protein kinase.