title: Morphology and molecular composition of sarcoplasmic reticulum surface junctions in the absence of DHPR and RyR in mouse skeletal muscle.
abstract: Calcium release during excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal muscle cells is initiated by the functional interaction of the exterior membrane and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), mediated by the "mechanical" coupling of ryanodine receptors (RyR) and dihydropyridine receptors (DHPR). RyR is the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release channel and DHPR is an L-type calcium channel of exterior membranes (surface membrane and T tubules), which acts as the voltage sensor of excitation-contraction coupling. The two proteins communicate with each other at junctions between SR and exterior membranes called calcium release units and are associated with several proteins of which triadin and calsequestrin are the best characterized. Calcium release units are present in diaphragm muscles and hind limb derived primary cultures of double knock out mice lacking both DHPR and RyR. The junctions show coupling between exterior membranes and SR, and an apparently normal content and disposition of triadin and calsequestrin. Therefore SR-surface docking, targeting of triadin and calsequestrin to the junctional SR domains and the structural organization of the two latter proteins are not affected by lack of DHPR and RyR. Interestingly, simultaneous lack of the two major excitation-contraction coupling proteins results in decrease of calcium release units frequency in the diaphragm, compared with either single knockout mutation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058, USA. edfelder@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Felder
authors.forename: Feliciano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Protasi
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franzini-Armstrong
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002155:Calsequestrin / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D002155:Calsequestrin; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel