Quantitative x-ray elemental imaging in stimulated single intact skeletal muscle fibers: The fate of calcium in the presence of ryanodine

Author(s):  
J. Sommer ◽  
P. Ingram ◽  
A. LeFurgey ◽  
R. Nassar ◽  
T. High

We are involved in a continuing series of experiments aimed at a complete description,in terms of morphology and quantitative topochemistry, of the time course of spatial distributions of physiologically important elements during excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) at different time intervals (fractions of msec) following electrical stimulation of single, intact frog skeletal muscle fibers. In this present study wg report such distributions for Ca after 1,2 and 3 min of electrical stimulation in the presence of 2x10-4 M ryanodine, an alkaloid that, in time, causes irreversible muscle contractures.Single, intact frog skeletal muscle fibers were quick-frozen, cryosectioned, freeze-substituted and in one case freeze-fractured. The freeze-dried cryosections were subjected to electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) in a JEOL 1200EX analytical electron microscope equipped with a Tracor Northern X-ray detector and a fully quantitative imaging system. Both, 64/64 pixel images (ambient temp.), and small raster probes (cold stage,-115 °C) for better statistics, were obtained, each from the same section.

Author(s):  
I. Taylor ◽  
P. Ingram ◽  
J.R. Sommer

In studying quick-frozen single intact skeletal muscle fibers for structural and microchemical alterations that occur milliseconds, and fractions thereof, after electrical stimulation, we have developed a method to compare, directly, ice crystal formation in freeze-substituted thin sections adjacent to all, and beneath the last, freeze-dried cryosections. We have observed images in the cryosections that to our knowledge have not been published heretofore (Figs.1-4). The main features are that isolated, sometimes large regions of the sections appear hazy and have much less contrast than adjacent regions. Sometimes within the hazy regions there are smaller areas that appear crinkled and have much more contrast. We have also observed that while the hazy areas remain still, the regions of higher contrast visibly contract in the beam, often causing tears in the sections that are clearly not caused by ice crystals (Fig.3, arrows).


Author(s):  
J.R. Sommer ◽  
R. Nassar ◽  
S. Walker

Quick-freezing allows the structural analysis of timed perturbations of morphology. We are presenting preliminary results concerning the feasibility of studying directly the side bridge geometry of actin-myosin interactions within the time course of a twitch in single intact frog skeletal muscle fibers, both by freeze-substitution and freeze-fracture after quick-freezing, and following various time intervals between stimulation and impact of the fibers on a liquid He-cooled copper block.Materials and Methods. The quick-freezing device was a "Slammer"(Polaron) for which the electronics had been redesigned; they are capable, in combination with a Grass S48 stimulator, of any stimulation interval between 0 and 1 sec prior to freezing, including tetanus. The actual elapsed time between stimulation and freezing is recorded with a digital clock. Single intact tendonto- tendon frog skeletal muscle fibers (semitendinosus of r. temporaria) or toe muscle bundles (r.pipiens) were isolated by sharp dissection and placed between coextensive Pt stimulation wires on blackened 2% agarose, the height of which on the specimen holder was adjusted appropriately with respect to a spacer ring both, to calibrate the impact time and to prevent smashing of the fibers.


Author(s):  
R. Nassar ◽  
P. Ingram ◽  
T. High ◽  
J.R. Sommer

We are performing a continuing series of experiments to describe the time course of fast physiological events in terms of morphology and microtopochemistry, using electron probe x-ray microanalysis in both the static probe (STP) and quantitative digital imaging (QDI) modes. As a model, we are using timed spatial displacements of elements (e.g. the release of calcium from JSR) during the process of excitation-contraction coupling in single, intact skeletal muscle fibers quick-frozen at known time intervals following electrical stimulation. There is considerable variance in the total calcium concentration ([Ca]t) among JSRs, which increases the requirement for widespread sampling to increase statistical confidence. Even at a low number of pixels/raster chosen for time economy, QDI seems well suited to deal with this variance because it covers a large number of JSRs in a reasonably short scanning time (64x64 pixels: ∽3 h; 128×128 pixels: ∽9 h). Here, we report on the efficacy of QDI in our experiments and compare the results with those obtained from STP.


Toxicon ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.L. Hu ◽  
C.Y. Kao ◽  
F.E. Koehn ◽  
H.K. Schnoes

2001 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yewei Liu ◽  
Zoltán Cseresnyés ◽  
William R. Randall ◽  
Martin F. Schneider

TTranscription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells NFATc (NFATc1, NFAT2) may contribute to slow-twitch skeletal muscle fiber type–specific gene expression. Green fluorescence protein (GFP) or FLAG fusion proteins of either wild-type or constitutively active mutant NFATc [NFATc(S→A)] were expressed in cultured adult mouse skeletal muscle fibers from flexor digitorum brevis (predominantly fast-twitch). Unstimulated fibers expressing NFATc(S→A) exhibited a distinct intranuclear pattern of NFATc foci. In unstimulated fibers expressing NFATc–GFP, fluorescence was localized at the sarcomeric z-lines and absent from nuclei. Electrical stimulation using activity patterns typical of slow-twitch muscle, either continuously at 10 Hz or in 5-s trains at 10 Hz every 50 s, caused cyclosporin A–sensitive appearance of fluorescent foci of NFATc–GFP in all nuclei. Fluorescence of nuclear foci increased during the first hour of stimulation and then remained constant during a second hour of stimulation. Kinase inhibitors and ionomycin caused appearance of nuclear foci of NFATc–GFP without electrical stimulation. Nuclear translocation of NFATc–GFP did not occur with either continuous 1 Hz stimulation or with the fast-twitch fiber activity pattern of 0.1-s trains at 50 Hz every 50 s. The stimulation pattern–dependent nuclear translocation of NFATc demonstrated here could thus contribute to fast-twitch to slow-twitch fiber type transformation.


1989 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
C L Huang ◽  
L D Peachey

Components of nonlinear capacitance, or charge movement, were localized in the membranes of frog skeletal muscle fibers by studying the effect of 'detubulation' resulting from sudden withdrawal of glycerol from a glycerol-hypertonic solution in which the muscles had been immersed. Linear capacitance was evaluated from the integral of the transient current elicited by imposed voltage clamp steps near the holding potential using bathing solutions that minimized tubular voltage attenuation. The dependence of linear membrane capacitance on fiber diameter in intact fibers was consistent with surface and tubular capacitances and a term attributable to the capacitance of the fiber end. A reduction in this dependence in detubulated fibers suggested that sudden glycerol withdrawal isolated between 75 and 100% of the transverse tubules from the fiber surface. Glycerol withdrawal in two stages did not cause appreciable detubulation. Such glycerol-treated but not detubulated fibers were used as controls. Detubulation reduced delayed (q gamma) charging currents to an extent not explicable simply in terms of tubular conduction delays. Nonlinear membrane capacitance measured at different voltages was expressed normalized to accessible linear fiber membrane capacitance. In control fibers it was strongly voltage dependent. Both the magnitude and steepness of the function were markedly reduced by adding tetracaine, which removed a component in agreement with earlier reports for q gamma charge. In contrast, detubulated fibers had nonlinear capacitances resembling those of q beta charge, and were not affected by adding tetracaine. These findings are discussed in terms of a preferential localization of tetracaine-sensitive (q gamma) charge in transverse tubule membrane, in contrast to a more even distribution of the tetracaine-resistant (q beta) charge in both transverse tubule and surface membranes. These results suggest that q beta and q gamma are due to different molecules and that the movement of q gamma in the transverse tubule membrane is the voltage-sensing step in excitation-contraction coupling.


1990 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Caputo ◽  
P Bolaños

After a contracture response, skeletal muscle fibers enter into a state of contractile refractoriness or inactivation. Contractile inactivation starts soon after membrane depolarization, and causes spontaneous relaxation from the contracture response. Here we demonstrate that contractile inactivation continues to develop for tens of seconds if the membrane remains in a depolarized state. We have studied this phenomenon using short (1.5 mm) frog muscle fibers dissected from the Lumbricalis brevis muscles of the frog, with a two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique. After a contracture caused by membrane depolarization to 0 mV, from a holding potential of -100 mV, a second contracture can be developed only if the membrane is repolarized beyond a determined potential value for a certain period of time. We have used a repriming protocol of 1 or 2 s at -100 mV. After this repriming period a fiber, if depolarized again to 0 mV, may develop a second contracture, whose magnitude and time course will depend on the duration of the period during which the fiber was maintained at 0 mV before the repriming process. With this procedure it is possible to demonstrate that the inactivation process builds up with a very slow time course, with a half time of approximately 35 s and completion in greater than 100 s. After prolonged depolarizations (greater than 100 s), the repriming time course is slower and the inactivation curve (obtained by plotting the extent of repriming against the repriming membrane potential) is shifted toward more negative potentials by greater than 30 mV when compared with similar curves obtained after shorter depolarizing periods (10-30 s). These results indicate that important changes occur in the physical state of the molecular moiety that is responsible for the inactivation phenomenon. The shift of the inactivation curve can be partially reversed by a low concentration (50 microM) of lanthanum ions. In the presence of 0.5 mM caffeine, larger responses can be obtained even after prolonged depolarization periods, indicating that the fibers maintain their capacity to liberate calcium.


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