The Initiation of Spike Potential in Barnacle Muscle Fibers under Low Intracellular Ca++

Electrical properties of the muscle fiber membrane were studied in the barnacle, Balanus nubilus Darw. by using intracellular electrode techniques. A depolarization of the membrane does not usually produce an all-or-none spike potential in the normal muscle fiber even though a mechanical response is elicited. The intracellular injection of Ca(++)-binding agents (K(2)SO(4) and K salt of EDTA solution, K(3) citrate solution, etc.) renders the fiber capable of initiating all-or-none spikes. The overshoot of such a spike potential increases with increasing external Ca concentration, the increment for a tenfold increase in Ca concentration being about 29 mv. The threshold membrane potential for the spike and also for the K conductance increase shifts to more positive membrane potentials with increasing [Ca(++)](out). The removal of Na ions from the external medium does not change the configuration of the spike potential. In the absence of Ca(++) in the external medium, the spike potential is restored by Ba(++) and Sr(++) but not by Mg(++). The overshoot of the spike potential increases with increasing [Ba(++)](out) or [Sr(++)](out). The Ca influx through the membrane of the fiber treated with K(2)SO(4) and EDTA was examined with Ca(45). The influx was 14 pmol per sec. per cm(2) for the resting membrane and 35 to 85 pmol per cm(2) for one spike. From these results it is concluded that the spike potential of the barnacle muscle fiber results from the permeability increase of the membrane to Ca(++) (Ba(++) or Sr(++)).