MEMBRANE DEPOLARIZATION INDUCED BY TRANS-CELLULAR OSMOSIS IN INTERNODAL CELLS OF NITELLA-FLEXILIS

Membrane depolarization induced by transcellular osmosis was studied using internodal cells of Nitella flexilis. Transcellular osmosis was induced by using sorbitol or methanol as the osmotic agent. In the endosmotic cell half, the membrane often generated an action potential and depolarized further with a concomitant decrease in membrane resistance. This osmosis-induced depolarization was a graded response dependent on the external osmotic gradients. However, in the exosmotic cell half, both membrane potential and membrane resistance changed insignificantly. Membrane depolarization occurred also in cells made inexcitable by bathing in 0.1-1 mM KCl solution. Effects of temperature and internal osmotic pressure on osmosis-induced depolarization were investigated. The magnitude of depolarization at low temperature (2 or 4°C) was larger than that at room temperature (around 20°C). Membrane depolarization was accelerated by lowering the internal osmotic pressure and inhibited by raising it. Not only the plasmalemma but the tonoplast also responded significantly to endosmosis. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.