title: Divalent cations and the activation kinetics of potassium channels in squid giant axons.
abstract: The effects of external Zn+2 and other divalent cations on K channels in squid giant axons were studied. At low concentration (2 mM) Zn+2 slows opening kinetics without affecting closing kinetics. Higher concentrations (5-40 mM) progressively slow opening and speed channel closing to a lesser degree. In terms of "shifts," opening kinetics are strongly shifted to the right on the voltage axis, and off kinetics much less so. The shift of the conductance-voltage relation along the axis is intermediate. Zinc's kinetic effects show little sign of saturation at the highest concentration attainable. Zn does not alter the shape of the instantaneous current-voltage relation of open channels. Some other divalent cations have effects similar to Zn+2, Hg2+ being the most potent and Ca+2 the least. After treatment with Hg+2, which is irreversible, Zn+2 still slows opening kinetics, which suggests that each channel has at least two sites for divalent cation action. The results are not compatible with a simple theory of fixed, uniform surface charges. They suggest that external cations interact directly with a negatively charged element of the gating apparatus that moves inward from the membrane's outer surface during activation. Examination of normal kinetics shows that there is a slow step somewhere in the chain leading to channel opening. But the slowest step must not be the last one.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000502:physiology; D049832:Decapodiformes; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008628:Mercury / Q000502:physiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002413:Cations, Divalent; D007473:Ion Channels; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc; D011188:Potassium