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J E Kimura

Publications and source records attributed to J E Kimura.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Kinetics of activation of the potassium conductance in the squid giant axon.

A quantitative re-investigation of the time course of the initial rise of the potassium current in voltage-clamped squid giant axons is described. The n4 law of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations was found to be well obeyed only for the smallest test pulses, and for larger ones a good fit of the inflected rise required use of the expression (1-exp[-t/tau n1])X-1(1-exp[-t/tau n2]), where both of the time constants and the power X varied with the size of the test pulse. Application of a negative prepulse produced a delay in the rise resulting mainly from an increase of X from a value of about 3 at -70 mV to 8 at -250 mV, while tau n1 remained constant and tau n2 was nearly doubled. The process responsible for generating this delay was switched on with a time constant of 8 ms at 4 degrees C, which fell to about 1 ms at 15 degrees C. Analysis of the inward tail currents at the end of a voltage-clamp pulse showed that there was a substantial external accumulation of potassium owing to the restriction of its diffusion out of the Schwann cell space, which, when duly allowed for, roughly doubled the calculated value of the potassium conductance. Computations suggested that the principal effect of such a build-up of [K]o would be to reduce the fitted values of tau n1 and tau n2 to two-thirds or even half their true sizes, while the power X would generally be little changed; but it would not affect the necessity to introduce a second time constant, nor would it invalidate our findings on the effect of negative prepulses.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Kinetics of activation of the sodium conductance in the squid giant axon.

The time course of the rise in sodium conductance during positive voltage-clamp pulses was measured in squid giant axons perfused with CsF and immersed in low-sodium solutions. The initial transients were eliminated by subtraction of records made after blocking the sodium channels with tetrodotoxin. The value of tau m as defined by Hodgkin & Huxley (1952) passed through a well defined maximum at a membrane potential of about -35 mV. On fitting the initial inflexion in the rise of INa to the expression mXh instead of m3h, the value of X was found to vary from axon to axon between 2.9 and 4.4, with an average of 3.5. For any given axon, X did not vary significantly with pulse potential. Measurements of tau m were made on approaching each value of the membrane potential both from the negative and from the positive side. The cube law kinetics of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations were closely obeyed. Application of a negative prepulse to -180 mV delayed the rise of conductance by 20 musec at 7 degrees C without obviously changing tau m. Comparisons of the voltage dependence of tau m with that of the time constant tau 1 of the fast relaxation of the asymmetry current measured in the same axon, showed that tau 1 was smaller than tau m except at positive potentials, was less steeply voltage-dependent, and reached its maximum at a more positive potential.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Some effects of n-pentane on the sodium and potassium currents of the squid giant axon.

1. Sodium and potassium currents have been recorded in intracellularly perfused squid giant axons before, during and after exposure to solutions of n-pentane in artificial sea water. 2. The currents were fitted with equations similar to those proposed by Hodgkin & Huxley (1952) and the changes in the parameters of these equations in the presence of pentane were calculated. 3. In the range of membrane potential -40 to 40 mV, the time constants for activation (tau m) and inactivation (tau h) of the Na current, and for activation (tau n) of the K current were all reduced by the pentane. 4. The curve of the steady-state inactivation parameter (h infinity) for the Na current against membrane potential was shifted by the pentane in a hyperpolarizing direction (at h infinity = 0.5 this shift was approx. -15 mV in 275 microM-pentane) and the slope at all potentials was reduced. 5. The curve of the steady-state activation parameter (m infinity) for the Na current against membrane potential was also shifted by the pentane in a hyperpolarizing direction (in 153 microM-pentane, 10 mV at m infinity = 0.5). 6. The maximum Na and K conductances gNa and gK were lowered by the pentane, though not usually completely reversibly. 7. The changes in position and slope of the steady-state inactivation curve have been tentatively accounted for in terms of an increase in membrane thickness.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

The effect of temperature on the asymmetrical charge movement in squid giant axons.

1. Asymmetrical displacement currents ('gating currents') have been recorded in intracellularly perfused squid giant axons by averaging the currents associated with depolarizing and hyperpolarizing voltage pulses. The effect of temperature on 'gating currents' was studied and compared with the effect of temperature on Na currents. 2. Increasing the temperature in seven steps from 0 to 15 degrees C increased the area under the on- and off-response (Qon, Qoff). The average Q10 values for Qon and Qoff (measured with depolarizing pulses to 0 to 20 mV) were 1.41 and 1.62, respectively. 3. The on- and the off-response were described mathematically by the sum of two exponentials. The first component of the on-response, Qon 1, represented 80% or more of the total charge movement associated with 2.5 msec pulses; the Q10 of Qon 1 was similar to that of total Qon. The first component of the off-response, Qoff 1, represented 50--70% of total Qoff; its Q10 was smaller than that of total Qoff. 4. The temperature dependence of the rate constants (tauon 1)-1 and (tauoff 1)-1 was stronger at temperatures below 6--8 degrees C (Q10 = 3.1--6.4) than at higher temperatures (Q10 = 2.0--3.3). In an Arrhenius plot two lines of different slope were required to fit the data. 5. The effect of increasing the temperature on the Q vs. V curve can be described as an increase of Qmax or, alternatively, as a shift of the curve to more negative potentials. 6. Increasing the temperature from 0 to 15 degrees C increased the peak of the Na current (recorded in sea water with a fifth of the normal Na concentration), increased the rate constants taum-1 and tauh-1 and shifted the m3infinity and hinfinity curves to more positive potentials. 7. The Q10 of the rate constant taum-1 varied between 2.04 and 2.61 and was independent of temperature. In an Arrhenius plot the values for taum-1 could be fitted by a single line. 8. The results support the view that 'gating current' does not simply reflect changes of the Na activation variable m. The increase of Qon, Qoff with increasing temperature may be attributed to an increase in membrane fluidity. The possibility that those charges which become mobile at higher temperatures may not be related to gating is considered.

Animals↗
PubMed1969

Donor-acceptor interactions of nitrogen.

The nitrogen atoms of organic molecules readily enter into donor-acceptor interactions, giving off an electron from their lone pair. Under favorable conditions the acceptor can form free radicals. S and O atoms behave likewise but less intensely.

Dimethyl Sulfoxide↗