Abstract. A correlated electrophysiological and light microscopic evaluation of trichocyst exocytosis was carded out with Paramecium cells which possess extensive cortical Ca stores with footlike links to the plasmalemma. We used not only intra-but also extracellular recordings to account for polar arrangement of ion channels (while trichocysts can be released from all over the cell surface). With three widely different secretagogues, aminoethyldextran (AED), veratridine and caffeine, similar anterior Nain and posterior Kout currents (both known to be Ca 2+-dependent) were observed. Direct de-or hyperpolarization induced by current injection failed to trigger exocytosis. For both, exocytotic membrane fusion and secretagogue-induced membrane currents, sensitivity to or availability of Ca 2÷ appears to be different. Current responses to AED were blocked by W7 or trifluoperazine, while exocytosis remained unaffected.Reducing [Ca2÷]o to <0.16/zM (i.e., resting [Ca2÷]i) suppressed electrical membrane responses triggered with AED, while we had previously documented normal exocytotic membrane fusion. From this we conclude that the primary effect of AED (as of caffeine) is the mobilization of Ca 2+ from the subplasmalemmal pools which not only activates exocytosis (abolished by iontophoretic EGTA injection) but secondarily also spatially segregated plasmalemmal Ca:+-dependent ion channels (indicative of subplasmalemmal [Ca2+]i increase, but irrelevant for Ca 2÷ mobilization). The 45Ca2÷ influx previously observed during AED triggering may serve to refill depleted stores. Apart from the insensitivity of our system to depolarization, the mode of direct Ca :÷ mobilization from stores by mechanical coupling to the cell membrane (without previous Ca 2÷-influx from outside) closely resembles the model currently discussed for skeletal muscle triads.T HERE is ample evidence that exocytosis regulation follows similar principles in all cells-from protozoan to mammalian-though with variations of the basic theme (for reviews see 6, 41). The ciliated protozoan Paramecium is a favorable model system because about 103 trichocysts are docked at the cell membrane (42). This allows their synchronous release within about 0.1 s (23) in response to different secretagogues, such as polyamines (40, 43, 45), veratridine (24), or caffeine CKlauke, N., and H. Plattner. 1993. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 60[suppl.]37:142). Paramecium cells possess extended subplasmalemmal Ca-storage compartments, the alveolar sacs (61). These underly almost all of the nonciliary (i.e., somatic) cell surface, except for sites occupied by cilia or trichocysts (1, 42).Ca 2÷ plays a pivotal role in the regulation of exocytotic membrane fusion (for a review see reference 7) also in Paramecium (42) where the source of Ca 2÷ is still under debate. Based on theoretical considerations, polyamines were proposed by Cohen and Kerboeuf (11) to activate hyperpolari-