A PATCH-CLAMP STUDY OF THE IONIC SELECTIVITY OF THE LARGE CONDUCTANCE, CA-ACTIVATED CHLORIDE CHANNEL IN MUSCLE VESICLES PREPARED FROM ASCARIS-SUUM

Plasma membrane vesicles prepared from the bag region of the somatic muscle cell of the parasite Ascaris suum contain a large conductance, voltage-sensitive, calcium-activated chloride channel. The ability of this channel to conduct a variety of anions has been investigated using the patch-clamp technique on isolated inside-out patches of muscle membrane. Symmetrical Cl solutions (140 mm) produced single-channel I/V plots with reversal potentials of 0 mV, substitution of bath Cl by 140 mm N03, Br and I caused depolarizing shifts in the reversal potentials. Replacement of the internal Cl by F (140 mm) caused a large hyperpolarizing shift in the reversal potential. The channel displayed a permeability sequence of I > Br = N03 > Cl > F which differed from the corresponding conductance sequence Cl > N03 = Br = I > F. The ionic environment within the channel pore has been investigated using Reuter and Stevens (1980) plots to describe the selectivity and ''fluidity'' of the channel pore. In addition, the approach of Wright and Diamond (1977) was employed to estimate the number of cationic binding sites within the channel pore. The channel is relatively fluid but the number of cationic binding sites varies inversely with the ionic radius of the anion from 2.15 for F to 0.89 for the large planar anion N03.