Excitation-contraction coupling in isolated locomotor muscle fibres from the pelagic tunicate Doliolum which lack both sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubular system

2002 ◽  
Vol 172 (6) ◽  
pp. 541-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inoue I. ◽  
Tsutsui I. ◽  
Bone Q.
1967 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-444
Author(s):  
DOREEN E. ASHHURST

The fibrillar flight muscles of several species of tropical water-bugs of the family Belostomatidae have been examined in the electron microscope. The myofibrils are very similar to those of the other fibrillar flight muscles which have been studied. The membrane systems, however, display features which appear to be peculiar to this family. The sarcoplasmic reticulum can be divided into three parts: a series of interconnecting vesicles surrounding the Z-lines, randomly scattered small vesicles around the myofibrils, and flattened cisternae which lie along the transverse tubular system, and form the dyads. These three components of the sarcoplasmic reticulum do not appear to be interconnected. The cisternae of the dyads contain an electrondense substance. The narrow tubules of the transverse tubular system or T-system penetrate deep into the fibre from the cell membrane. They follow a course roughly perpendicular to the myofibrils at the level of the M-lines. The dyads are scattered along their length, and may not be near a myofibril. Another system of very large vesicles is found in the muscle fibres, interspersed among the mitochondria. These vesicles usually appear to be empty; their nature and function are not at present known. Numerous mitochondria are present among the myofibrils. The peculiarities of the water-bug fibrillar flight muscle are discussed in relation to the flight muscles of other insects and the physiological properties of fibrillar flight muscle.


1968 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip W. Brandt ◽  
John P. Reuben ◽  
Harry Grundfest

Living muscle fibers of crayfish become dark during efflux of Cl-. This change in appearance is correlated with occurrence of vacuolation in the fixed fibers. The vacuoles begin at and are mainly confined to the terminals of the transverse tubular system (TTS) which are in diadic contact with the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In electron micrographs swellings more than 1 µ in diameter may be seen connected to the sarcolemma or sarcolemmal invaginations by relatively unswollen tubules about 300–500 A wide. Darkening of the living fibers can be reversed by causing an influx of Cl-. Vacuoles are then absent in the fixed preparations. These findings accord with the conclusion that the membrane of the TTS is anion permselective. Localization of the selectivity to the membrane of the terminals of the TTS strengthens the hypothesis that a channeling of current flow is responsible for initiation of excitation-contraction coupling. During the swelling, and upon its reversal, the area of the membrane of the terminals must change reversibly by about two to four orders of magnitude. The absence of changes in the dimensions of the unit membrane indicates that the expansion of the membrane and its subsequent shrinkage involve reversible incorporation of cytoplasmic material into the membrane phase.


1983 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 988-992
Author(s):  
J. P. Reuben ◽  
G. M. Katz ◽  
P. W. Brandt ◽  
G. Suarez-Kurtz ◽  
M. S. Dekin

1972 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. REES ◽  
P. N. R. USHERWOOD

The structure of normal and denervated muscle fibres in the metathoracic retractor unguis muscle of the locust (Schistocerca gregaria) has been examined. Section of the 2 motor neurons which innervate this muscle results initially in muscle hypertrophy but this is followed about 4 days post neurotomy by progressive atrophy. Atrophy of the retractor unguis muscle is characterized by a decrease in muscle volume and degeneration of muscle organelles, e.g. mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum, transverse tubular system, protein filaments, etc. During its later stages the degeneration of the denervated muscle is possibly assisted by the phagocytic action of haemocytes which invade the muscle.


1963 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucien Girardier ◽  
John P. Reuben ◽  
Philip W. Brandt ◽  
Harry Grundfest

Under certain conditions only, isolated crayfish skeletal muscle fibers change in appearance, becoming grainy, darkening, and seemingly losing their striations. These changes result from development of large vesicles on both sides of the Z-line. The longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum remains unaffected. The vesicles are due to swelling of a transverse tubular system (TTS) which is presumably homologous with the T-system tubules of other muscle fibers. The vesiculations occur during efflux of water or on reducing external K or Cl, but only when KCl can leave the fiber. They never result from osmotic, ionic, or electrical changes when KCl cannot leave. Inward currents, applied through a KCl-filled intracellular cathode, also cause the vesiculations. These are not produced when the cathode is filled with K-propionate, nor by outward or longitudinal currents. Thus the transverse tubules swell only when Cl leaves the cell. Accordingly, their membrane is largely or exclusively anion-permselective. These findings also indicate that the TTS forms part of a current loop, connecting with the exterior of the fiber probably through radial tubules (RT) possessing membrane of low conductivity. Thus, part of the current flowing inward across the sarcolemma during activity can return to the exterior through the membrane of the TTS. The structure and properties of the latter offer the possibility for an efficient electrical mechanism to initiate excitation-contraction coupling.


1969 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Gage ◽  
Robert S. Eisenberg

In frog sartorius muscle fibers in which the transverse tubular system has been disrupted by treatment with glycerol, action potentials which are unaccompanied by twitches can be recorded. These action potentials appear to be the same as those recorded in normal fibers except that the early afterpotential usually consists of a small hyperpolarization of short duration. After a train of action potentials no late afterpotential is seen even when the membrane potential is changed from the resting level. In fibers without transverse tubules hyperpolarizing currents do not produce a creep in potential. The interruption of excitation-contraction coupling, the changes in the afterpotentials, and the disappearance of creep are all attributed to the lack of a transverse tubular system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yankun Lyu ◽  
Vipin K. Verma ◽  
Younjee Lee ◽  
Iosif Taleb ◽  
Rachit Badolia ◽  
...  

AbstractIt is well established that the aging heart progressively remodels towards a senescent phenotype, but alterations of cellular microstructure and their differences to chronic heart failure (HF) associated remodeling remain ill-defined. Here, we show that the transverse tubular system (t-system) and proteins underlying excitation-contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes are characteristically remodeled with age. We shed light on mechanisms of this remodeling and identified similarities and differences to chronic HF. Using left ventricular myocardium from donors and HF patients with ages between 19 and 75 years, we established a library of 3D reconstructions of the t-system as well as ryanodine receptor (RyR) and junctophilin 2 (JPH2) clusters. Aging was characterized by t-system alterations and sarcolemmal dissociation of RyR clusters. This remodeling was less pronounced than in HF and accompanied by major alterations of JPH2 arrangement. Our study indicates that targeting sarcolemmal association of JPH2 might ameliorate age-associated deficiencies of heart function.


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