Characterization of ion channels on the surface membrane of adult rat skeletal muscle.

The channels present on the surface membrane of isolated rat flexor digitorum brevis muscle fibers were surveyed using the patch clamp technique. 85 out of 139 fibers had a novel channel which excluded the anions chloride, sulfate, and isethionate with a permeability ratio of chloride to sodium of less than 0.05. The selectivity sequence for cations was Na+ = K+ = Cs+ greater than Ca++ = Mg++ greater than N-Methyl-D-Glucamine. The channel remained closed for long periods, and had a large conductance of approximately 320 pS with several subconductance states at approximately 34 pS levels. Channel activity was not voltage dependent and the reversal potential for cations in muscle fibers of approximately 0 mV results in the channel's behaving as a physiological leakage conductance. Voltage activated potassium channels were present in 65 of the cell attached patches and had conductances of mostly 6, 12, and 25 pS. The voltage sensitivity of the potassium channels was consistent with that of the delayed rectifier current. Only three patches contained chloride channels. The scarcity of chloride channels despite the known high chloride conductance of skeletal muscle suggests that most of the chloride channels must be located in the transverse tubular system.