Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 3, 1004-1013, Copyright © 1983 by Society for Neuroscience
Development of sodium channels during differentiation of chick skeletal muscle in culture. II. 22Na+ uptake and electrophysiological studies
J Baumgold, JB Parent and I Spector
The development of the functional properties of the sodium channel of chick
skeletal muscle grown in culture was studied using 22Na uptake and
electrophysiological techniques. In accord with the biochemical data in the
preceding paper (Baumgold, J., J. B. Parent, and I. Spector (1983) J.
Neurosci. 3: 995-1003), the functional manifestations of sodium channel
expression are initiated shortly after cell fusion. At this stage, the
myotubes have barely detectable sodium-dependent action potentials (Vmax =
1 to 9 V/sec) and exhibit a very small amount of batrachotoxin
(BTX)-stimulated 22Na+ uptake. However, when these cultures are treated
with scorpion toxin (ScTX), the amplitude and rate of rise of the sodium
action potential increase dramatically (Vmax = 35 to 50 V/sec) and the
(BTX)-stimulated 22Na+ uptake is much larger, suggesting that ScTX unmasks
channels that are already present but nonfunctional in these immature
myotubes. The two different rates of development of the biochemical
properties of the sodium channel described in the preceding paper are also
reflected in the two separate rates of development of its functional
properties. In the absence of ScTX, the amplitude and Vmax of the action
potential develop at a slow rate similar to that of the [3H]saxitoxin
binding, eventually reaching a Vmax of 158 V/sec by day 10; the
BTX-stimulated 22Na+ uptake also rises gradually, reaching 12 nmol of
22Na+/culture/min by day 7.5. In contrast, in the presence of ScTX, the
Vmax of the Na+ action potential increases more rapidly, reaching 158 V/sec
by day 5 and 220 V/sec by day 10. The BTX-stimulated 22Na+ uptake also
increases more rapidly in the presence of ScTX. This rapid rate of
development is very similar to that for [125I]ScTX binding. These findings
and those in the preceding paper suggest the existence of two types of Na+
channels: an immature, nonfunctional channel capable of binding [125I]ScTX
alone, and a mature, functional channel capable of binding both [125I]ScTX
and [3H]saxitoxin. They further suggest that the insertion of the immature
form of the channel protein into the cell membrane shortly after cell
fusion is the first event in the expression of the sodium channel. During
development, the sodium channel undergoes a structural change which renders
it functional. The possibility that both the appearance of functional
sodium channels during development and the rapid induction of functional
channels by ScTX in immature myotubes reflect a post-translational
modification or aggregation of immature nonfunctional channels is
discussed.