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The action potential and contraction in subumbrellar swimming muscle ofPolyorchis penicillatus (Hydromedusae)

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The action potentials of Polyorchis ‘swimming’ muscle cells have a characteristic square waveform.

  2. 2.

    The depolarizing phase of the action potential is dependent on both Na+ and Ca+ + influx since i) sodium ions must be present in the bathing solution for generation of an action potential; ii) the amplitude of action potentials is increased by increasing the Ca+ + concentration of the bathing medium; iii) cobalt ions rapidly block the action potential.

  3. 3.

    The action potential is resistant to tetrodotoxin in the bathing solution.

  4. 4.

    The durations of action potentials are directly proportional to the size of jellyfish.

  5. 5.

    The times to peak tension of contractions in the subumbrellar muscle sheet are directly related to the durations of the action potentials producing those contractions.

  6. 6.

    Tetraethylammonium ions increase the duration of the plateau phase of action potentials, and increase the duration of the contractions.

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Abbreviations

ASW :

artificial seawater

TEA :

tetraethylammonium bromide

TTX :

tetrodotoxin

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Author notes

  1. R. A. Satterlie

    Present address: Department of Zoology, Arizona State University, 85281, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, The University of Alberta, T6G 2E9, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    A. N. Spencer & R. A. Satterlie

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  1. A. N. Spencer
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  2. R. A. Satterlie
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Additional information

We thank Dr. R. Foreman, Director of Bamfield Marine Station (WCUMBS), for providing research facilities and T. Daniel for allowing us to use his strain-gauge design. This study was supported by NSERC operating grant A-0419 to ANS and a grant from the Lerner Fund for Marine Research to RAS. RAS held an Isaac Walton Killam Memorial post-doctoral scholarship.

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Spencer, A.N., Satterlie, R.A. The action potential and contraction in subumbrellar swimming muscle ofPolyorchis penicillatus (Hydromedusae). J. Comp. Physiol. 144, 401–407 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00612572

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00612572

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