Skeletal Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Vesicles Research Articles

Recombinant expression of Intrepicalcin from the scorpion Vaejovis intrepidus and its effect on skeletal ryanodine receptors

BackgroundScorpion venoms contain toxins that modulate ionic channels, among which are the calcins, a small group of short, basic peptides with an Inhibitor Cystine Knot (ICK) motif that target calcium release channels/ryanodine receptors (RyRs) with high affinity and selectivity. Here we describe the heterologous expression of Intrepicalcin, identified by transcriptomic analysis of venomous glands from Vaejovis intrepidus. MethodsRecombinant Intrepicalcin was obtained in Escherichia coli BL21-DE3 (periplasm) by fusing the Intrepicalcin gene to sequences coding for signal-peptide, thioredoxin, His-tag and enterokinase cleavage site. Results[3H]Ryanodine binding, used as a functional index of RyR activity, revealed that recombinant Intrepicalcin activates skeletal RyR (RyR1) dose-dependently with Kd=17.4±4.0nM. Intrepicalcin significantly augments the bell-shaped [Ca2+]-[3H]ryanodine binding curve at all [Ca2+] ranges, as is characteristic of the calcins. In single channel recordings, Intrepicalcin induces the appearance of a subconductance state in RyR1 with a fractional value ∼55% of the full conductance state, very close to that of Vejocalcin. Furthermore, Intrepicalcin stimulates Ca2+ release at an initial dose=45.3±2.5nM, and depletes ~50% of Ca2+ load from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. ConclusionsWe conclude that active recombinant Intrepicalcin was successfully obtained without the need of manual oxidation, enabling it to target RyR1s with high affinity. General significanceThis is the first calcin heterologously expressed in the periplasma of Escherichia coli BL21-DE3, shown to be pharmacologically effective, thus paving the way for the generation of Intrepicalcin variants that are required for structure-function relationship studies of calcins and RyRs.

CLIC2-RyR1 Interaction and Structural Characterization by Cryo-electron Microscopy

Chloride intracellular channel 2 (CLIC2), a newly discovered small protein distantly related to the glutathione transferase (GST) structural family, is highly expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle, although its physiological function in these tissues has not been established. In the present study, [ 3H]ryanodine binding, Ca 2+ efflux from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles, single channel recording, and cryo-electron microscopy were employed to investigate whether CLIC2 can interact with skeletal ryanodine receptor (RyR1) and modulate its channel activity. We found that: (1) CLIC2 facilitated [ 3H]ryanodine binding to skeletal SR and purified RyR1, by increasing the binding affinity of ryanodine for its receptor without significantly changing the apparent maximal binding capacity; (2) CLIC2 reduced the maximal Ca 2+ efflux rate from skeletal SR vesicles; (3) CLIC2 decreased the open probability of RyR1 channel, through increasing the mean closed time of the channel; (4) CLIC2 bound to a region between domains 5 and 6 in the clamp-shaped region of RyR1; (5) and in the same clamp region, domains 9 and 10 became separated after CLIC2 binding, indicating CLIC2 induced a conformational change of RyR1. These data suggest that CLIC2 can interact with RyR1 and modulate its channel activity. We propose that CLIC2 functions as an intrinsic stabilizer of the closed state of RyR channels.

N-terminal Region of FKBP12 Is Essential for Binding to the Skeletal Ryanodine Receptor

It is known that the two types of FK506-binding proteins FKBP12 and FKBP12.6 are tightly associated with the skeletal (RyR1) and cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR2), respectively, and their interactions are important for channel functions of the RyR. In the case of cardiac muscle, three amino acid residues (Gln-31, Asn-32, and Phe-59) of FKBP12.6 could be essential for the selective binding to RyR2 (Xin, H. B., Rogers, K., Qi, Y., Kanematsu, T., and Fleischer, S. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 15315-15319). In this study to identify amino acid residues of FKBP12 that are important for the selective binding to RyR1, we mutated 9 amino acid residues of FKBP12 that differ from the counterparts of FKBP12.6 (Q3E, R18A, E31Q, D32N, M49R, R57A, W59F, H94A, and K105A), and we examined binding properties of these mutants to RyR1 by in vitro binding assay by using glutathione S-transferase-fused proteins of the mutants and Triton X-100-solubilized, FKBP12-depleted rabbit skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Among the nine mutants tested, only Q3E and R18A lost their selective binding ability to RyR1. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation of RyR1 with 33 various mutants for the 9 positions produced by introducing different size, charge, and hydrophobicity revealed that an integration of the hydrogen bonds by the irreplaceable Gln-3 and the hydrophobic interactions by the residues Arg-18 and Met-49 could be a possible mechanism for the binding of FKBP12 to RyR1. Therefore, these results suggest that the N-terminal regions of FKBP12 (Gln-3 and Arg-18) and Met-49 are essential and unique for binding of FKBP12 to RyR1 in skeletal muscle.

Redox regulation of calcium release in skeletal and cardiac muscle.

In skeletal and cardiac muscle cells, specific isoforms of the Ryanodine receptor channels mediate Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These channels are highly susceptible to redox modifications, which regulate channel activity. In this work, we studied the effects of Ca2+ (endogenous agonist) and Mg2+ (endogenous inhibitor) on the kinetics of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from skeletal or cardiac mammalian muscle. Native skeletal vesicles exhibited maximal stimulation of release kinetics by 10-20 microM [Ca2+], whereas in native cardiac vesicles, maximal stimulation of release required only 1 microM [Ca2+]. In 10 microM [Ca2+], free [Mg2+] < 0.1 mM produced marked inhibition of release from skeletal vesicles but free [Mg2+] < or = 0.8 mM did not affect release from cardiac vesicles. Incubation of skeletal or cardiac vesicles with the oxidant thimerosal increased their susceptibility to stimulation by Ca2+ and decreased the inhibitory effect of Mg2+ in skeletal vesicles. Sulfhydryl-reducing agents fully reversed the effects of thimerosal. The endogenous redox species, glutathione disulfide and S-nitrosoglutathione, also stimulated release from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. In 10 microM [Ca2+], 35S-nitrosoglutathione labeled a protein fraction enriched in release channels through S-glutathiolation. Free [Mg2+] 1 mM or decreasing free [Ca2+] to the nM range prevented this reaction. Possible physiological and pathological consequences of redox modification of release channels on Ca2+ signaling in heart and muscle cells are discussed.

Clomipramine and related structures as inhibitors of the skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump.

The Ca2+-pumping activity of skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles is half-maximally inhibited by 120 microM clomipramine, 250 microM desipramine, and 500 microM imipramine or trimipramine. The inhibition is attributed to the dihydrodibenzazepine moiety, since 3-(dimethylamino)propionitrile, reproducing the aliphatic amine chain, has no inhibitory action. The inhibition is shown as a marked decrease of Ca2+ binding at equilibrium in the absence of ATP and as a reduction of phosphorylation of the Ca2+-free conformation by inorganic phosphate. Therefore, the drug effect is consistent with preferential interaction of tricyclic antidepressants with the Ca2+-free conformation of the nonphosphorylated enzyme. An additional decrease in the apparent rate constant of enzyme dephosphorylation, i.e., in the release of phosphate from ATP during enzyme cycling was also noticed.

Ascorbate/Iron Activates Ca 2+-Release Channels of Skeletal Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Vesicles Reconstituted in Lipid Bilayers

Ca 2+-release channel or ryanodine receptor is known to be involved in physiologic Ca 2+-release from sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal and cardiac muscle. A variety of chemical oxidants and in particular SH-oxidizing reagents have been shown to activate Ca 2+ release. However, the role of the oxidative modification of the channel in the physiologic mechanism(s) of Ca 2+ release and in pathologic states of the muscle remains to be elucidated. Ascorbate/iron redox couple is known to be an efficient generator of oxygen radicals and semidehydroascorbyl radicals. Ascorbate/iron was shown to be released from cardiomyocytes during ischemia-reperfusion and was suggested to be involved in the ischemia-reperfusion injury and cardiomyocyte death. To understand the potential contribution of ascorbate/iron to Ca 2+ release mechanism(s), calcium release channels from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were reconstituted in artificial planar bilayers to examine the effects of this redox couple on the channel activity. Ascorbate elicited a transient (about 2 min) but dramatic increase of open-time probability of the channel. At pCa = 7.0, the presence of EGTA blocked ascorbate induced activation of release channels. However, when exogenous iron was added, ascorbate activated Ca 2+ release channels, even in the presence of EGTA. ESR measurements demonstrated that semidehydroascorbyl radicals were generated from ascorbate in the absence of EGTA. The semidehydroascorbyl radical ESR signal was quenched by EGTA in the absence (but not in the presence) of exogenous iron. Thus, the production of ascorbyl radicals was associated with increased channel activity. In the presence of heparin, ascorbate plus iron elicited a long-lasting activation of the channel which had conductance g Ca 2+ = 100 pS characteristic for the ryanodine receptor and which could be blocked by the ryanodine channel inhibitor, ruthenium red. In conclusion the physiologically relevant redox couple - ascorbate/iron - at physiologic concentrations can activate Ca 2+ channels in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles.

Free radical activation of Ca 2+-release channels of skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles reconstituted in lipid bilayers

Free radical activation of Ca 2+-release channels of skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles reconstituted in lipid bilayers

Digoxin activates sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-release channels: a possible role in cardiac inotropy.

1. The effect of digoxin on rapid 45Ca2+ efflux from cardiac and skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles was investigated. Additionally the interaction of digoxin with single cardiac and skeletal muscle SR Ca(2+)-release channels incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayers and held under voltage clamp was determined. 2. Digoxin (1 nM) increased the initial rate and amount of Ca(2+)-induced release of 45Ca2+ from cardiac SR vesicles, passively loaded with 45CaCl2, at an extravesicular [Ca2+] of 0.1 microM. The efflux in the presence and absence of digoxin was inhibited at pM extravesicular Ca2+ and blocked by 5 mM Mg2+. 3. To elucidate the mechanism of action of digoxin, single-channel recording was used. Digoxin (1-20 nM) increased single-channel open probability (Po) when added to the cytosolic but not the luminal face of the cardiac channel in the presence of sub-maximally activating Ca2+ (0.1 microM-10 microM) with an EC50 of 0.91 nM at 10 microM Ca2+. The mechanisms underlying the action of digoxin appear to be concentration-dependent. The activation observed at 1 nM digoxin appears to be consistent with the sensitization of the channel to the effects of Ca2+. At higher concentrations the drug appears to interact synergistically with Ca2+ to produce values of Po considerably greater than those seen with Ca2+ as the sole activating ligand. 4. Digoxin had no effect on single-channel conductance or the Ca2+/Tris permeability ratio. In channels activated by digoxin the Po was decreased by Mg2+. Single-channels were characteristically modified to along lasting open, but reduced, conductance state when 100 nM ryanodine was added to the cytosolic side of the channel.5. Activation of the cardiac SR Ca2+-release channel was observed with similar concentrations of digitoxin, however, higher concentrations of ouabain were required to increase PO. In contrast, a steroid which is not positively inotropic, chlormadinone acetate, had no effect on either cardiac or skeletal SR Ca2+-release channel activity.6. At concentrations up to 1 microM, digoxin had no effect on Ca2+-induced 45Ca2+ efflux from skeletal muscle SR vesicles nor did it affect skeletal SR Ca2+-release channel Po, reflecting a difference between the cardiac and skeletal isoforms of the Ca2+-release channel.7. Since activation of the cardiac SR Ca2+-release channel occurs within the range of concentrations of digoxin encountered therapeutically, it is possible that activation of this channel contributes to the positive inotropic effect observed with this drug. Further, activation of the channel by higher concentrations of digoxin may contribute to the toxic effects seen clinically.

Ryanodine-affinity chromatography purifies 106 kD Ca 2+ release channels from skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

A 106 kD protein was isolated from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles and shown to have the properties of SR Ca 2+ release channels, including blockade by 5 nM ryanodine. In view of extensive reports that the ryanodine-receptor complex consists of four 565 kD junctional feet proteins (JFPs) and is the ‘physiological’ Ca 2+ release channel, we prepared ryanodine-affinity columns to isolate its receptor site(s). Conditions known to maximize the association and dissociation of ryanodine to SR proteins were respectively used to link, then elute, the receptor(s) from ryanodine-affinity columns. The method purified a protein at about 100 kD from both rabbit skeletal and canine cardiac SR vesicles. The skeletal and cardiac proteins isolated by ryanodine-affinity chromatography were identified as the low molecular weight Ca 2+ release channel through their antigenic reaction with an anti-106 kD monoclonal antibody. Upon reconstitution in planar bilayers, both skeletal and cardiac proteins revealed the presence of functional SR Ca 2+ release channels. Surprisingly, ryanodine-affinity columns did not retain JFPs but purified 106 kD Ca 2+ release channels which are a minor component (0.1–0.3%) of SR proteins.

Ryanodine stabilizes multiple conformational states of the skeletal muscle calcium release channel.

Nanomolar to micromolar ryanodine alters the gating kinetics of the Ca2+ release channel from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fused with bilayer lipid membranes (BLM). In the presence of asymmetric CsCl and 100 microM CaCl2 cis, ryanodine (RY) (5-40 nM) activates the channel, increasing the open probability (po; maximum 300% of control) without changing unitary conductance (468 picosiemens (pS)). Statistical analyses of gating kinetics reveal that open and closed dwell times exhibit biexponential distributions and are significantly modified by nanomolar RY. Altered channel gating kinetics with low nanomolar RY is fully reversible and correlates well with binding kinetics of nanomolar [3H]RY with its high affinity site (Kd1 = 0.7 nM) under identical experimental conditions. RY (20-50 nM) induces occasional 1/2 conductance fluctuations which correlate with [3H]RY binding to a second site having lower affinity (Kd2 = 23 nM). RY (5-50 nM) in the presence of 500 mM CsCl significantly enhances Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release from actively loaded SR vesicles. Ryanodine > or = 50 nM stabilizes the channel in a 234-pS subconductance which is not readily reversible. RY (> or = 70 microM) produces a unidirectional transition from the 1/2 to a 1/4 conductance fluctuation, whereas RY > or = 200 microM causes complete closure of the channel. The RY required for stabilizing 1/4 conductance transitions and channel closure do not quantitatively correlate with [3H]RY equilibrium binding constants and is attributed to significant reduction in association kinetics with > 200 nM [3H]RY in the presence of 500 mM CsCl. These results demonstrate that RY stabilizes four discrete states of the SR release channel and supports the existence of multiple interacting RY effector sites on the channel protein.

Intraluminal Ca2+ dependence of Ca2+ and ryanodine-mediated regulation of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release.

The action of ryanodine upon sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ handling is controversial with evidence for both activation and inhibition of SR Ca2+ release. In this study, the role of the intraluminal SR Ca2+ load was probed as a potential regulator of ryanodine-mediated effects upon SR Ca2+ release. Through dual-wavelength spectroscopy of Ca2+:antipyrylazo III difference absorbance, the intraluminal Ca2+ dependence of ryanodine and Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) from skeletal SR vesicles was examined. Ryanodine addition after initiation of Ca2+ uptake (a) increased the intraluminal Ca2+ sensitivity of CICR and (b) stimulated spontaneous Ca2+ release with a delayed onset. These ryanodine effects were inversely proportional to the intraluminal Ca2+ load. Ryanodine also inhibited subsequent CICR after reaccumulation of Ca2+ released from the initial CICR. These results provide evidence that ryanodine inhibits transitions between low and high affinity Ca2+ binding states of an intraluminal Ca2+ compartment, possibly calsequestrin. Conformational transitions of calsequestrin may be reciprocally coupled to transitions between open and closed states of the Ca2+ release channel.

Regulation of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscles.

Ca2+ release from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) could be regulated by at least three mechanisms: 1) Ca2+, 2) calmodulin, and 3) Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation. Bell-shaped Ca(2+)-dependence of Ca2+ release from both actively- and passively-loaded SR vesicles suggest that opening and closing of the Ca2+ release channel could be regulated by [Ca2+o]. The time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of Ca2+ release from skeletal SR by calmodulin was also studied using passively-Ca2+ loaded SR vesicles. Up to 50% of Ca2+ release was inhibited by calmodulin (0.01-0.5 microM); this inhibition required 5-15 min preincubation time. The hypothesis that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of a 60 kDa protein regulates Ca2+ release from skeletal SR was tested by stopped-flow fluorometry using passively-Ca2+-loaded SR vesicles. Approximately 80% of the initial rates of Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release was inhibited by the phosphorylation within 2 min of incubation of the SR with Mg-ATP and calmodulin. We identified two types of 60 kDa phosphoproteins in the rabbit skeletal SR, which was distinguished by solubility of the protein in CHAPS. The CHAPS-soluble 60 kDa phosphoprotein was purified by column chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, heparin-agarose, and hydroxylapatite. Analyses of the purified protein indicate that the CHAPS-soluble 60 kDa protein is an isoform of phosphoglucomutase (PGM). cDNAs encoding isoforms of PGM were cloned and sequenced using synthetic oligonucleotides. Two types of PGM isoforms (Type I and Type II) were identified. The translated amino acid sequences show that Type II isoform is SR-form.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Properties of immunoaffinity purified 106-kDa Ca 2+ release channels from the skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum

The sulfhydryl-gated 106-kDa Ca 2+-release channel (SG-106) was purified by biotin-avidin chromatography from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles and used as an antigen to raise polyclonal anti-bodies. Western blots showed that the antisera crossreacted with the antigenic SG-106 and not with SR Ca 2+, Mg 2+-ATPase or with junctional foot proteins (JFPs) (Zaidi et al., 1989, J. Biol. Chem. 264(36), 21,725–21,736; 21,737–21,747). Polyclonal anti-body-affinity columns were used to selectively purify SG-106-kDa proteins which, upon incorporation in planar bilayers, revealed the presence of a cationic channels with properties similar to “native” Ca 2+-release channels obtained through the fusion of SR vesicles with planar bilayers. In agreement with measurements of Ca 2+ release from SR vesicles, sulfhydryl oxidizing and reducing agents (i.e., 2,2′-dithiodipyridine and dithiothreitol) respectively increased and decreased the open-time probability of 106-kDa Ca 2+-release channels. In contrast with reports on JFPs, ryanodine at 0.5–1 n m increased the open-time probability and at 2–10 n m locked 106-kDa Ca 2+-release channels in a closed state rather than an open subconductance state. The SG-106 was activated by millimolar ATP, inhibited by millimolar Mg 2+, and blocked by micromolar ruthenium red. Adriamycin (2–10 μ m) caused a transient activation of SG-106 Ca 2+-release channels, followed by closure in about 5 min, and intermittent activation to a subconductance state. Polyclonal antibodies used to purify the SG-106 also activated the channel when added to the cis side but not the trans side of the bilayer. Thus, SG-106 channels possess features that are similar to “native” SR Ca 2+-release channels, are immunologically distinct from JFPs, and interact in seconds with nanomolar ryanodine in planar bilayers.

Involvement of sarcoplasmic reticulum 'Ca2+ release channels' in excitation-contraction coupling in vertebrate skeletal muscle.

1. Pharmacological blockers of calcium-induced calcium release from isolated skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles have been introduced into frog skeletal muscle fibres to determine their effects on excitation-contraction coupling. 2. Among the blockers tested, Ruthenium Red, neomycin, gentamicin and 9-aminoacridine inhibited the SR Ca2+ release associated with excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling as much as they inhibited caffeine potentiation of that release. Protamine, certain of its derivatives, and spermine were ineffective in both in situ tests. 3. Alternative sites of polyamine action on the contractile proteins, SR Ca2+ uptake or charge movements were ruled out. 4. All polyamines tested required considerably higher concentrations to inhibit excitation-contraction coupling than to block Ca2+ release from isolated SR vesicles. 5. The quantitative pharmacological difference in sensitivity between isolated and intact systems serves as a reminder that results on isolated systems cannot generally be used to predict results of the same substances on more physiological systems. 6. Since caffeine is known to open the SR 'Ca2+ release channels' (the ryanodine receptors that mediate Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release), the equal effectiveness of these blockers at inhibiting excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling and its potentiation by caffeine suggests that the SR 'Ca2+ release channels' are indeed involved in excitation-concentration coupling in skeletal muscle, although the results do not indicate how the channel is gated open during E-C coupling.

Characterization of the steady‐state calcium fluxes in skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Unidirectional Ca2+ fluxes (influx and efflux), supported by ATP as a phosphate-donor substrate, were measured without alteration of the lumenal Ca2+ content in longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. The referred fluxes are dependent on extravesicular Ca2+, ATP and ADP. They are unaffected by ruthenium red but inhibited by quercetin. The Ca2+ fluxes at steady state are drastically diminished when ATP is substituted by acetylphosphate although the addition of 10 microM ADP increases the apparent rate constants more than eight fold. The observed fluxes appear to be dependent on Ca2(+)-ATPase phosphoenzyme transitions. The results indicate that: (a) the slow Ca2+ release, due to the passive permeability of the membrane, is a minor component of the total Ca2+ efflux, and (b) the ATPase protein is basically operating as a Ca2+/Ca2+ exchanger at steady state. Kinetic resolution of the Ca2+ fluxes, measured by isotopic tracer and rapid filtration techniques can be recreated by computer simulation of the ATPase reaction cycle featuring some modifications to account for the fast Ca2+/Ca2+ exchange and the uncoupling effect observed at steady state.

The heavy metal ions Ag + and Hg 2+ trigger calcium release from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

Heavy metal ions have been shown to induce Ca 2+ release from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) by binding to free sulfhydryl groups on a Ca 2+ channel protein and are now examined in cardiac SR. Ag + and Hg 2+ (at 10–25 μ m) induced Ca 2+ release from isolated canine cardiac SR vesicles whereas Ni 2+, Cd 2+, and Cu 2+ had no effect at up to 200 μ m. Ag 2+-induced Ca 2+ release was measured in the presence of modulators of SR Ca 2+ release was compared to Ca 2+-induced Ca 2+ release and was found to have the following characteristics, (i) Ag +-induced Ca 2+ release was dependent on free [Mg 2+], such that rates of efflux from actively loaded SR vesicles increased by 40% in 0.2 to 1.0 m m Mg 2+ and decreased by 50% from 1.0 to 10.0 m m Mg 2+. (ii) Ruthenium red (2–20 μ m) and tetracaine (0.2–1.0 m m), known inhibitors of SR Ca 2+ release, inhibited Ag +-induced Ca 2+ release, (iii) Adenine nucleotides such as cAMP (0.25–2.0 m m) enhanced Ca 2+-induced Ca 2+ release, and stimulated Ag +-induced Ca 2+ release. (iv) Low Ag + to SR protein ratios (5–50 nmol Ag +/mg protein) stimulated Ca 2+-dependent ATPase activity in Triton X-100-uncoupled SR vesicles. (v) At higher ratios of Ag + to SR proteins (50–250 nmol Ag +/mg protein), the rate of Ca 2+ efflux declined and Ca 2+-dependent ATPase activity decreased gradually, up to a maximum of 50% inhibition, (vi) Ag + stimulated Ca 2+ efflux from passively loaded SR vesicles (i.e., in the absence of ATP and functional Ca 2+ pumps), indicating a site of action distinct from the SR Ca 2+ pump. Thus, at low Ag 2+ to SR protein ratios, Ag 2+ is very selective for the Ca 2+ release channel. At higher ratios, this selectivity declines as Ag + also inhibits the activity of Ca 2+,Mg 2+-ATPase pumps. Ag + most likely binds to one or more sulfhydryl sites “on” or “adjacent” to the physiological Ca 2+ release channel in cardiac SR to induce Ca 2+ release.

Characterization of the tetraphenylboron‐induced calcium release from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum

Release of Ca2+ from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles was studied by the spectrophotometric stopped-flow technique using tetraphenylboron as a releasing agent. The extent of Ca2+ release shows a sigmoidal response, with respect to the tetraphenylboron concentration, being dependent on Ca2+ preloading and Ca2+-ATPase activity, since these experiments were performed on actively loaded vesicles. The release process has a rapid component with an apparent rate constant of 6-8 s-1, showing a linear relationship between the rapid rate of Ca2+ release and the Ca2+ content of the vesicles. The release is not mediated by the reversal of the Ca2+ pump. Since the amphipathic anion tetraphenylboron was unable to elicit a Ca2+-release response when added to a preparation of sarcoplasmic reticulum phospholipid vesicles, it is suggested that there may be an interaction with some membrane protein(s) at the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface leading to the opening of some specific Ca2+-release pathway.

Doxorubicin-induced calcium release from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Doxorubicin, an anthracycline glycoside antibiotic which has been widely used for treatment of several types of cancer (Goormaghtigh and Ruysschaer, 1984), displays a clinically important cardiac toxicity (Young et al., 1981) that can be dissociated from the antitumor activity. Although the main sites of toxicity have been postulated to be on the muscle membranes (Goormaghtigh and Ruysschaer, 1984; Harris and Doroshow, 1985), no information is available for a direct doxorubicin effect on the Ca 2+ fluxes in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Previous studies have shown that micromolar doxorubicin triggers Ca 2+ release from skeletal SR vesicles (Zorzato et al., 1985). The objective of this study was to examine the effect of doxorubicin or caffeine on Ca 2+ fluxes in cardiac SR in the presence of various Ca 2+ release inhibitors. Addition of either doxorubicin (C 1/2 = 5 μ m), or caffeine (C 1/2 = 0.8 m m) triggered Ca 2+ release from canine cardiac SR loaded with 45Ca 2+ in the presence of 2 m m ATP. The maximal amount of Ca 2+ release triggered by doxorubicin (38% of the total loaded Ca 2+) was significantly higher than that released by caffeine (25%). Plots of the amount of Ca 2+ release triggered by 20 μ m doxorubicin or 2 m m caffeine vs. free Ca 2+ concentration were a bell-shaped, with maximal Ca 2+ release at 0.2 μ m Ca 2+. Ca 2+ release triggered by either 20 μ m doxorubicin or 2 m m caffeine was inhibited by ruthenium red (0.1 to 2 μ m), ryanodine (1 to 100 μ m) or tetracaine (0·1 to 1 m m), whereas 2 m m caffeine did not further activate Ca 2+ release triggered by 50 μ m doxorubicin, suggesting that the drugs may share the same Ca 2+ release channel.

Structural and Functional Correlation of the Trypsin-digested Ca2+ Release Channel of Skeletal Muscle Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

The effect of trypsin digestion on the (i) fragmentation pattern, (ii) activity, (iii) [3H]ryanodine binding, and (iv) sedimentation behavior of the skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ryanodine receptor-Ca2+ release channel complex has been examined. Mild tryptic digestion of heavy, junctional-derived SR vesicles resulted in the rapid disappearance of the high molecular weight (Mr approximately 400,000) Ca2+ release channel protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and appearance of bands of lower Mr upon immunoblot analysis, without an appreciable effect on [3H]ryanodine binding or the apparent S value (30 S) of the 3-[3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (Chaps)-solubilized channel complex. Further degradation to bands of Mr greater than 70,000 on immunoblots correlated with a reduction of channel size from 30 S to 10-15 S and loss of high affinity [3H]ryanodine binding to the trypsinized receptor, while low affinity [3H]ryanodine binding and [3H]ryanodine bound prior to digestion were retained. Parallel 45Ca2+ efflux measurements also indicated retention of the Ca2+, Mg2+, and ATP regulatory sites, although Ca2+-induced 45Ca2+ release rates were changed. In planar lipid bilayer-single channel measurements, addition of trypsin to the cytoplasmic side of the high conductance (100 pS in 50 mM Ca2+), Ca2+-activated SR Ca2+ channel initially increased the fraction of channel open time and was followed by a complete and irreversible loss of channel activity. Trypsin did not change the unitary conductance, and was without effect on single channel activity when added to the lumenal side of the channel.

Conformational changes of the Ca2+-ATPase as early events of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Rabbit skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were loaded with Ca2+ by ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation in the presence of low [Mg2+] (0.2-0.5 mM), and Ca2+ release was induced by addition of caffeine or ADP or by means of a Ca2+ jump. The levels of the phosphorylated intermediate (EP) and the tryptophan fluorescence of the Ca2+-ATPase were monitored during both the Ca2+ accumulation and the induced Ca2+ release using fast kinetic techniques. During Ca2+ uptake, both the EP level and the tryptophan fluorescence gradually decreased following a time course similar to that of the Ca2+ accumulation. Upon inducing Ca2+ release by addition of either caffeine or ADP, there was a transient increase of the EP level (from 0.3-0.5 to 1-2 nmol/mg protein) preceding the release of Ca2+. Similarly, a transient increase of the tryptophan fluorescence prior to Ca2+ release produced by the application of a Ca2+ jump was also found. These results indicate that the Ca2+-ATPase enzyme undergoes a rapid conformational change in response to triggering of Ca2+ release.