The modification of the unidirectional calcium fluxes of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles by monovalent cation ionophores

Abstract

Calcium uptake by rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles in phosphate-containing media exhibits time-dependent changes that arise from changing rates of calcium influx and efflux. The monovalent cation ionophore gramicidin, added before the start of the calcium uptake reaction, delayed the spontaneous calcium release that normally occurred after approx. 6 min in such reactions; the rate of calcium efflux was inhibited while calcium influx was little affected. Under these conditions, Ca 2+-activated ATPase activity could remain unaltered. Gramicidin stimulated calcium uptake irrespective of the presence of a K + gradient across the vesicle membrane. Valinomycin stimulated calcium uptake in a manner similar to that for gramicidin even in an NaCl-containing medium lacking potassium. Thus, dissipation of a transmembrane K + gradient is unlikely to account for the effects of these ionophores on the spontaneous changes in calcium flux rates. Addition of gramicidin to partially calcium-filled vesicles inhibited the phase of spontaneous calcium reuptake because both calcium influx and efflux were inhibited. Addition of gramicidin to partially calcium-filled vesicles in the presence of a water-soluble protein, such as bovine serum albumin, creatine kinase or pyruvate kinase, markedly stimulated calcium uptake. This stimulatory effect was due primarily to inhibition of calcium efflux, calcium influx being minimally influenced by the ionophore. After cleavage of the 100 000 dalton ATPase to 50 000 dalton fragments, which was not associated with changes in Ca 2+-activated ATPase activity or initial calcium uptake rate, gramicidin increased rather than decreased calcium content when added to vesicles after the initial maximum in calcium content. Thus, the ability of monovalent cation ionophores to block calcium efflux from calcium-filled vesicles may reflect their interaction with a portion of the Ca 2+-activated ATPase protein.