Biophysical adaptation of the theory of photo-induced phase transition: model of cooperative gating of cardiac ryanodine receptors

Abstract

Theory of photo-induced phase transitions has been adapted to describe the cooperative dynamics of the lattice of ryanodine receptors/channels (RyR) in cardiac muscle which regulate the release of the intracellular activator calcium from calcium stores in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) by a process of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). We introduce two main degrees of freedom for RyR channel, fast electronic and slow conformational ones. The RyR lattice response to the L-type channel triggering evolves due to a nucleation process with a step-by-step domino-like opening of RyR channels. Typical mode of RyR lattice functioning in a CICR process implies the fractional release with a robust termination due to the depletion of SR with a respective change in effective conformational strain. The SR overload leads to an unconventional auto-oscillation regime with a spontaneous calcium release. The model is believed to consistently describe the main features of CICR, that is its gradedness, coupled gating, irreversibility, inactivation/adaptation, and spark termination.