Three types of electrical excitation have been investigated in the marine d
iatom Coscinodiscus wailesii. I: Depolarization-triggered, transient Cl- co
nductance, G(Cl)(t), followed by a transient, voltage-gated K+ conductance,
G(K), with an active state a and two inactive states i(1) and i(2) in seri
es (a-i(1)-i(2)). II: Similar C-Cl(t) as in Type-I but triggered by hyperpo
larization; a subsequent increase of G(K) in this type is indicated but not
analyzed in detail. III: Hyperpolarization-induced transient of a voltage-
gated activity of an electrogenic pump (i(2)-a-i(3)), followed by G(Cl)(t)
as in Type-IT excitations. Type-III with pump Sating is novel as such, G(Cl
)(t) in all types seems to reflect the mechanism of InsP(3)(-); and Ca2+-me
diated G(Cl)(t) in the action potential in Chara (Biskup et al., 1999). The
nonlinear current-voltage-time relationships of Type-I and Type-III excita
tions have been recorded under voltage-clamp using single saw-tooth command
voltages (voltage range: -200 to +50 mV, typical slope: +/-1 Vs(-1)). Fits
of the: corresponding models to the experimental data provided numerical v
alues of the model parameters. The statistical significance of these soluti
ons is investigated. We suggest that the original function of electrical ex
citability of biological membranes is related to osmoregulation which has p
ersisted through evolution in plants, whereas the familiar and osmotically
neutral action potentials in animals have evolved later towards the novel f
unction of rapid transmission of information over long distances.