The mechanical hypothesis of excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in skeletal muscle.
The mechanism of transmission in skeletal muscle EC coupling is still an open question. There is some indirect evidence in favour of the mechanical coupling hypothesis, deriving mostly from consideration of the structure of the Ca2+ release channel protein. A new functional approach is proposed, that consists in comparing the properties of the complete system--EC coupling in a skeletal muscle fibre--with those of the EC coupling molecules in bilayers. In this approach, those properties of the whole system that are not traceable to its constitutive molecules, are ascribed to the physiological interaction, and are expected to yield new information on the nature of this interaction.
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Department of Physiology, Rush University School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612.
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González
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D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005246:Feedback; D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate / Q000502:physiology*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011898:Ranidae / Q000502:physiology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000502:physiology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000502:physiology; D015290:Second Messenger Systems
D015220:Calcium Channels; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate; D002118:Calcium