The Ca2+ release channel in junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum: Gating and blockade by cations

The architecture of the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and transverse tubule (T tubule) membranes and the morphology of the two major proteins isolated from these membranes, the ryanodine receptor (or foot protein) and the dihydropyridine receptor, have been examined in detail. Evidence for a direct interaction between the foot protein and a protein component of the junctional T tubule membrane is presented. Comparisons between freeze-fracture images of the junctional SR and rotary-shadowed images of isolated triads and of the isolated foot protein, show that the foot protein has two domains. One is the large hydrophilic foot which spans the junctional gap and is composed of four subunits. The other is a hydrophobic domain which presumably forms the SR Ca2+-release channel and which also has a fourfold symmetry. Freeze-fracture images of the junctional T tubule membranes demonstrate the presence of diamond-shaped clusters of particles that correspond exactly in position to the subunits of the feet protein. These results suggest the presence of a large junctional complex spanning the two junctional membranes and intervening gap. This junctional complex is an ideal candidate for a mechanical coupling hypothesis of excitation-contraction coupling at the triadic junction.

Download Full-text

Identification and characterization of the high affinity [3H]ryanodine receptor of the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel.

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1016/s0021-9258(18)48263-4 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 262 (14) ◽

pp. 6460-6463 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

K P Campbell ◽

C M Knudson ◽

T Imagawa ◽

A T Leung ◽

J L Sutko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Ryanodine Receptor ◽

Release Channel ◽

High Affinity ◽

Identification And Characterization ◽

Junctional Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

Download Full-text

Anchorfibers and the Topography of Junctional SR

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100080341 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

pp. 582-583

Author(s):

James Junker ◽

Joachim R. Sommer

Keyword(s):

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Cardiac Muscle ◽

Single Filament ◽

Relaxation Cycle ◽

10 Nm Filaments ◽

Junctional Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

Junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (JSR) in all its forms (extended JSR, JSR of couplings, corbular SR) in both skeletal and cardiac muscle is always located at the Z - I regions of the sarcomeres. The Z tubule is a tubule of the free SR (non-specialized SR) which is consistently located at the Z lines in cardiac muscle (1). Short connections between JSR and Z lines have been described (2), and bundles of filaments at Z lines have been seen in skeletal (3) and cardiac (4) muscle. In opossum cardiac muscle, we have seen bundles of 10 nm filaments stretching across interfibrillary spaces and adjacent myofibrils with extensions to the plasma- lemma in longitudinal (Fig. 1) and transverse (Fig. 2) sections. Only an occasional single filament is seen elsewhere along a sarcomere. We propose that these filaments represent anchor fibers that maintain the observed invariant topography of the free SR and JSR throughout the contraction-relaxation cycle.

Download Full-text