In recent years, considerable attention has focused on the morphological nature of the excitation-contraction coupling system of striated muscle. Since the study of Porter and Palade, it has become evident that the sarcoplastic reticulum (SR) and transverse tubules constitute the major elements of this system. The problem still exists, however, of determining the mechamisms by which the signal to interdigitate is presented to the thick and thin myofilaments. This problem appears to center on the movement of Ca++ions between myofilaments and SR. Recently, Philpott and Goldstein reported acid mucosubstance associated with the SR of fish branchial muscle using the colloidal thorium dioxide technique, and suggested that this material may serve to bind or release divalent cations such as Ca++. In the present study, Hale's iron solution adapted to electron microscopy was applied to formalin-fixed myofibrils isolated from glycerol-extracted rabbit psoas muscles and to frozen sections of formalin-fixed rat psoas muscles.
