Chara plasmalemma at high ph: Voltage dependence of the conductance at rest and during excitation

The high pH state of Chara plasmalemma (Bisson, M.A., Walker, N.A. 1980. J. Membrane Biol. 56:1-7) was investigated to obtain detailed current-voltage (I/V) and conductance-voltage (G/V) characteristics in the pH range 7.5 to 12. The resting conductance started to increase at a pH as low as 8.5, doubling at pH 9.5, but the most notable increases occurred between pH 10.5 and 11.5, as observed previously (Bisson, M.A., Walker, N.A. 1980. J. Membrane Biol. 56:1-7; Bisson, M.A., Walker, N.A. 1981. J. Exp. Bot. 32:951-971). The slopes (and shapes) of the I/V curves varied even over minutes, suggesting a shifting population of open channels. Possible contributions of the permeabilities to H+ and OH-, PH and POH, respectively, to the increase in membrane conductance were calculated in the pH range 8.5 to 12. If PH is the main cause for the increase in conductance, it would have to rise by three orders of magnitude between pH 8.5 and 11.5, implying an enormous increase in the open-channel population as pH rises. On the other hand, a comparatively constant POH over that pH range would result in an increase in conductance due to the rise of OH- concentration. This indicates unchanging open-channel population. The transient excitation conductances at pH 7.5 and 11.5 were compared at a range of membrane PD (potential difference) levels. At more positive PD levels (near 0) the transient conductances showed little change as pH was increased. However, near the excitation threshold the conductance at high pH was slower to reach peak and its amplitude was diminished compared to that at neutral pH. This effect was found to be partially due to the pH change itself and partially due to less negative membrane PD at high pH. The changes in excitation transients developed gradually as pH of the medium was increased. These findings are discussed with a recent model of excitation in mind (Shiina, T., Tazawa, M. 1988. J. Membrane Biol. 106:135-139).