磷酸饥饿诱导大肠杆菌同步化

用改良的Ｋｅｐｅｓ磷酸饥饿法诱导大肠杆菌Ｋ—１２ＡＭ１２６４同步化生长，细胞经８轮同步化步骤后可在磷酸不限制培养基中自由生长保持２～３次同步化细胞周期。Ｋ—１２ＡＭ１２６４大肠杆菌的细胞增倍和分化周期分别为５５和１５ｍｉｎ，同步化细胞周期可分达３个时相。细胞分裂期（Ｐ），细胞分裂和染色体复制起始间期（Ｑ）以及染色体复制起始和细胞分裂间期（Ｒ）。Ｒ期又可分Ｒ１和Ｒ２两个亚期。在Ｒ１亚期胸腺呼啶掺入ＤＮＡ的速度增加，在Ｒ２亚期掺入速度保持恒定。Ｒ１和Ｒ２期分别为１５和１０ｍｉｎ。     

Na-Ca exchange current in mammalian heart cells

Electrogenic Na-Ca exchange has been known to act in the cardiac sarcolemma as a major mechanism for extruding Ca ions. Ionic flux measurements in cardiac vesicles have recently suggested that the exchange ratio is probably 3 Na:1 Ca, although a membrane current generated by such a process has not been isolated. Using the intracellular perfusion technique combined with the whole-cell voltage clamp, we were able to load Na+ inside and Ca2+ outside the single ventricular cells of the guinea pig and have succeeded in recording an outward Na-Ca exchange current while blocking most other membrane currents. The current is voltage-dependent, blocked by La3+ and does not develop in the absence of intracellular free Ca2+. This report presents the first direct measurement of the cardiac Na-Ca exchange current, and should facilitate the study of Ca2+ fluxes during cardiac activity, together with various electrical changes attributable to the Na-Ca exchange and the testing of proposed models.     

Slow conduction in the atrioventricular node of the cat: A possible explanation

Zusammenfassung Nachweis, dass bei Erhöhung des Membranpotentials im AV-Knoten der Katze eine raschere Erregungsausbreitung erzielt werden kann.

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This work was supported by a research grant from the Japanese Ministry of Education.     

Calcitonin gene-related peptide regulates calcium current in heart muscle

The influx of Ca2+ due to the transmembrane calcium current, ICa, has a fundamental role in cardiac pacemaker activity, in the action potential plateau and in excitation-contraction coupling. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic neurotransmitters can modulate ICa. Recent studies indicate that in both the cardiovascular and the central nervous systems, nerve varicosities exist that contain a novel non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic peptide--calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Although CGRP is known to exert strong positive inotropic and chronotropic effects, as well as to cause vasodilation, very little is known about the ionic mechanisms of these effects. Here we report that CGRP dramatically increases ICa in single heart cells. Although this CGRP-induced increase in ICa resembles the effect of beta-adrenergic agonists, our results demonstrate some significant differences between the effects of CGRP and these agonists: (1) the increase due to CGRP cannot be blocked by beta-adrenergic antagonists; (2) the CGRP-induced effect is transient; and, (3) CGRP can inhibit isoproterenol-stimulated ICa. Our results provide the first electrophysiological evidence that CGRP can significantly modulate ICa in the heart, and suggest a new additional mechanism for the neurogenic control of cardiac function.     

Ohmic conductance through the inwardly rectifying K channel and blocking by internal Mg2+

The inwardly rectifying K channel provides the resting K conductance in a variety of cells. This channel acts as a valve or diode, permitting entry of K+ under hyperpolarization, but not its exit under depolarization. This behaviour, termed inward rectification, permits long depolarizing responses which are of physiological significance for the pumping function of the heart and for fertilization of egg cells. Little is known about the outward currents through the inwardly rectifying K channel, despite their great physiological importance, and the mechanism of inward rectification itself is unknown. We have used improved patch clamp techniques to control the intracellular media, and have recorded the outward whole-cell and single-channel currents. We report here that the channel conductance is ohmic and that the well-known inward rectification of the resting K conductance is caused by rapid closure of the channel accompanied by a voltage-dependent block by intracellular Mg2+ ions at physiological concentrations.     

Membrane currents in cardiac pacemaker tissue

The present work is a brief survey of the mechanism of the cardiac pacemaker in sinoatrial node cells. Information on the pacemaker mechanism in cardiac tissue has been greatly enhanced by the development of the single cell isolation technique and the patch clamp technique. These methods circumvent to a large extent the difficulties involved in voltage clamping multicellular preparations. The calcium current (ICa), delayed rectifier potassium current (IK), transient outward current (Ito;IA), and the hyperpolarization activated inward current (Ih or If) were found both in whole cell preparations and in single channel analysis. The physiological significance of these currents, together with the exchange current systems for the pacemaker depolarization are discussed.