The intracellular pH-regulating mechanism of the squid axon was examined for its dependence on the concentrations of external Na+ and HCO3-, always at an external pH (pHo) of 8.0. Axons having an initial intracellular pH (pHi) of approximately 7.4 were internally dialyzed with a solution of pH 6.5 that contained 400 mM Cl- and no Na+. After pHi had fallen to approximately 6.6, dialysis was halted, thereby returning control of pHi to the axon. With external Na+ and HCO-3 present, intracellular pH (pHi) increased because of the activity of the pHi-regulating system. The acid extrusion rate (i.e., equivalent efflux of H+, JH) is the product of the pHi recovery rate, intracellular buffering power, and the volume-to-surface ratio. The [HCO3-]o dependence of JH was examined at three fixed levels of [Na+]o: 425, 212, and 106 mM. In all three cases, the apparent Jmax was approximately 19 pmol X cm-2 X s-1. However, the apparent Km (HCO3-) was approximately inversely proportional to [Na+]o, rising from 2.6 to 5.4 to 9.7 mM as [Na+]o was lowered from 425 to 212 to 106 mM, respectively. The [Na+]o dependence of JH was similarly examined at three fixed levels of [HCO3-]o: 12, 6, and 3 mM. The Jmax values did not vary significantly from those in the first series of experiments. The apparent Km (Na+), however, was approximately inversely related to [HCO3-]o, rising from 71 to 174 to 261 mM as [HCO3-]o was lowered from 12 to 6 to 3 mM, respectively. These results agree with the predictions of the ion-pair model of acid extrusion, which has external Na+ and CO3= combining to form the ion pair NaCO3-, which then exchanges for internal Cl-. When the JH data are replotted as a function of [NaCO3- ]o, data from all six groups of experiments fall along the same Michaelis-Menten curve, with an apparent Km (NaCO3-) of 80 microM. The ordered and random binding of Na+ and CO3= cannot be ruled out as possible models, but are restricted in allowable combinations of rate constants.
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