title: Optical single-channel resolution imaging of the ryanodine receptor distribution in rat cardiac myocytes.
abstract: We have applied an optical super-resolution technique based on single-molecule localization to examine the peripheral distribution of a cardiac signaling protein, the ryanodine receptor (RyR), in rat ventricular myocytes. RyRs form clusters with a mean size of approximately 14 RyRs per cluster, which is almost an order of magnitude smaller than previously estimated. Clusters were typically not circular (as previously assumed) but elongated with an average aspect ratio of 1.9. Edge-to-edge distances between adjacent RyR clusters were often <50 nm, suggesting that peripheral RyR clusters may exhibit strong intercluster signaling. The wide variation of cluster size, which follows a near-exponential distribution, is compatible with a stochastic cluster assembly process. We suggest that calcium sparks may be the result of the concerted activation of several RyR clusters forming a functional "supercluster" whose gating is controlled by both cytosolic and sarcoplasmic reticulum luminal calcium levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baddeley
authors.forename: Izzy
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jayasinghe
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossberger
authors.forename: Mark B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Cannell
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soeller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D051381:Rats; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013269:Stochastic Processes
chemical_list: D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel