Voltage Sensor For Excitation-contraction Coupling Research Articles

Identifying the CaV1.1 voltage-sensing domains involved in channel gating and excitation contraction coupling.

Skeletal muscle CaV1.1 is a voltage gated calcium channel, which primarily functions as voltage sensor of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC). Upon depolarization, CaV1.1 triggers the opening of the RyR1 in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, causing the calcium release event essential for skeletal muscle contraction. Upon strong stimulation, CaV1.1 elicits a calcium current with kinetics and voltage-dependence different from those of ECC. Probably, these distinct activation properties arise from the differential roles of the four CaV1.1 voltage sensing domains (VSDs). Each VSD comprises of four transmembrane helices (S1-S4); S4 segments contain 4-5 positive charges, which interact with negative countercharges in the surrounding helices. These transient ion-pair interactions facilitate and tune the S4 motion in response to changes of the membrane potential. Using structure-guided mutagenesis with patch-clamp analysis and fluorescence calcium recordings, our group identified crucial countercharges in VSD I and IV able to regulate the channel's voltage sensitivity (I and IV) and activation kinetics (IV), without interfering with ECC. However, analogous mutations in VSDs II and III showed little or no effects on either channel gaiting or ECC, corroborating the notion that the four VSDs use different molecular mechanism for regulating their activation properties. Recently, two independent voltage-clamp fluorometry studies suggested that either VSD II or III is the main activator of ECC, based on their specific kinetics and voltage sensitivity matching those of ECC. While both studies agree that perhaps only a single VSD may activate ECC, they disagree on which one that might be. Here we address this problem using site-directed mutagenesis and chimeric CaV1.1 channels expressed in dysgenic myotubes. Constructs shifting the voltage-dependence of either ECC or channel activation reveal the specific contributions of the mutated VSDs in one or the other function of CaV1.1.

CaV1.1 Calcium Channel Signaling Complexes in Excitation-Contraction Coupling: Insights from Channelopathies.

In skeletal muscle, excitation-contraction (EC) coupling relies on the mechanical coupling between two ion channels: the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV1.1), located in the sarcolemma and functioning as the voltage sensor of EC coupling, and the ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1), located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum serving as the calcium release channel. To this day, the molecular mechanism by which these two ion channels are linked remains elusive. However, recently, skeletal muscle EC coupling could be reconstituted in heterologous cells, revealing that only four proteins are essential for this process: CaV1.1, RyR1, and the cytosolic proteins CaVβ1a and STAC3. Due to the crucial role of these proteins in skeletal muscle EC coupling, any mutation that affects any one of these proteins can have devastating consequences, resulting in congenital myopathies and other pathologies.Here, we summarize the current knowledge concerning these four essential proteins and discuss the pathophysiology of the CaV1.1, RyR1, and STAC3-related skeletal muscle diseases with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms. Being part of the same signalosome, mutations in different proteins often result in congenital myopathies with similar symptoms or even in the same disease.

Defining the roles of VSD II & III of Cav1.1 in regulating calcium currents and EC-coupling

In skeletal muscle CaV1.1 functions as voltage-sensor of excitation contraction coupling (ECC). Upon membrane depolarization CaV1.1 activates the opening of RyR-1, leading to calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and consequently to muscle contraction. Upon intense depolarization, CaV1.1 can also elicit a voltage-dependent calcium current (ICa); however, with kinetics and voltage-dependence of activation distinct from those of ECC. These characteristic activation properties relate to the distinct roles of the four voltage sensing domains (VSD I-IV) of CaV1.1.

Calcium current modulation by the γ1 subunit depends on alternative splicing of Cav1.1

The skeletal muscle voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV1.1) primarily functions as voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling. Conversely, its channel function is limited by multiple mechanisms within the pore-forming α1S subunit and the auxiliary α2δ-1 and γ1 subunits. Particularly, developmentally regulated alternative splicing of exon 29, which inserts 19 amino acids in the extracellular IVS3-S4 loop of CaV1.1a, greatly reduces the current density and shifts the voltage-dependence of activation to positive potentials outside the physiological range.

Physiological and Pharmacological Modulation of the Embryonic Skeletal Muscle Calcium Channel Splice Variant CaV1.1e

CaV1.1e is the voltage-gated calcium channel splice variant of embryonic skeletal muscle. It differs from the adult CaV1.1a splice variant by the exclusion of exon 29 coding for 19 amino acids in the extracellular loop connecting transmembrane domains IVS3 and IVS4. Like the adult splice variant CaV1.1a, the embryonic CaV1.1e variant functions as voltage sensor in excitation-contraction coupling, but unlike CaV1.1a it also conducts sizable calcium currents. Consequently, physiological or pharmacological modulation of calcium currents may have a greater impact in CaV1.1e expressing muscle cells. Here, we analyzed the effects of L-type current modulators on whole-cell current properties in dysgenic (CaV1.1-null) myotubes reconstituted with either CaV1.1a or CaV1.1e. Furthermore, we examined the physiological current modulation by interactions with the ryanodine receptor using a chimeric CaV1.1e construct in which the cytoplasmic II-III loop, essential for skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling, has been replaced with the corresponding but nonfunctional loop from the Musca channel. Whereas the equivalent substitution in CaV1.1a had abolished the calcium currents, substitution of the II-III loop in CaV1.1e did not significantly reduce current amplitudes. This indicates that CaV1.1e is not subject to retrograde coupling with the ryanodine receptor and that the retrograde coupling mechanism in CaV1.1a operates by counteracting the limiting effects of exon 29 inclusion on the current amplitude. Pharmacologically, CaV1.1e behaves like other L-type calcium channels. Its currents are substantially increased by the calcium channel agonist Bay K 8644 and inhibited by the calcium channel blocker nifedipine in a dose-dependent manner. With an IC50 of 0.37 μM for current inhibition by nifedipine, CaV1.1e is a potential drug target for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy. It might block the excessive calcium influx resulting from the aberrant expression of the embryonic splice variant CaV1.1e in the skeletal muscles of myotonic dystrophy patients.

Upregulation of RGK Protein Expression in Aging Mouse Fast Twitch Skeletal Muscle

A component of muscle weakness in older individuals is directly attributable to compromised excitation-contraction (EC) coupling. In skeletal muscle, the L-type Ca2+ channel (CaV1.1) serves as the voltage sensor for EC coupling by triggering Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in response to plasma membrane depolarization.Although it has been established that impaired EC coupling (termed “EC uncoupling” by O. Delbono and colleagues) in aged individuals is caused by a reduction in the number of L-type channels present in the plasma membrane, the molecular mechanisms responsible for transducing age-dependent cellular signals (e.g., oxidative stress) to decreased CaV1.1 membrane expression remain enigmatic. In this study, we have investigated a role for RGK (Rad, Rem, Rem2, Gem/Kir) family small G proteins in EC uncoupling because: 1) expression of endogenous Rad is enhanced in response to oxidative stress in skeletal muscle, and 2) overexpression of Rem in muscle cells mimics EC uncoupling. We have found that exogenous overexpression of Rad in cultured myotubes also mimics EC uncoupling. Moreover, immunoblotting of fast-twitch tibialis anterior and mixed gastrocnemius muscle lysates revealed progressive age-dependent enhancement of Rad protein levels while Rad expression was largely absent in slow-twitch soleus muscle in all age groups (ranging from 2-36 months). Taken together, our observations raise the possibility that Rad acts as one molecular link between elevated oxidative stress and EC uncoupling in aging fast-twitch muscle. Conversely, the lack of Rad expression in slow twitch muscle suggests that Rad may play a role in the disproportionate retention of slow twitch fibers in aged individuals.

Three-Dimensional Localization of the α and β Subunits and of the II-III Loop in the Skeletal Muscle L-type Ca2+ Channel

The L-type Ca(2+) channel (dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) in skeletal muscle acts as the voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling. To better resolve the spatial organization of the DHPR subunits (α(1s) or Ca(V)1.1, α(2), β(1a), δ1, and γ), we created transgenic mice expressing a recombinant β(1a) subunit with YFP and a biotin acceptor domain attached to its N- and C- termini, respectively. DHPR complexes were purified from skeletal muscle, negatively stained, imaged by electron microscopy, and subjected to single-particle image analysis. The resulting 19.1-Å resolution, three-dimensional reconstruction shows a main body of 17 × 11 × 8 nm with five corners along its perimeter. Two protrusions emerge from either face of the main body: the larger one attributed to the α(2)-δ1 subunit that forms a flexible hook-shaped feature and a smaller protrusion on the opposite side that corresponds to the II-III loop of Ca(V)1.1 as revealed by antibody labeling. Novel features discernible in the electron density accommodate the atomic coordinates of a voltage-gated sodium channel and of the β subunit in a single docking possibility that defines the α1-β interaction. The β subunit appears more closely associated to the membrane than expected, which may better account for both its role in localizing the α(1s) subunit to the membrane and its suggested role in excitation-contraction coupling.

P1.37 DHPR α1S subunit controls skeletal muscle mass and morphogenesis

Skeletal muscle is a complex tissue which requires a correct balance of myotrophic factors and a functional innervation with normal excitation contraction (EC) coupling and muscle activity to maintain mass and function. L-type Ca2+ channels are made of five subunits (α1S, α2, β, γ, δ). The α1S, known as the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR), is a four-repeat transmembrane protein which has a dual function in skeletal muscle: it forms the L-type Ca2+ channel in T-tubules and is the voltage sensor of EC coupling at the level of triads. It has been proposed that L-type Ca2+ channels might also be voltage-gated sensors linked to transcriptional activity controlling differentiation. We hypothesize here that subtle modification of α1S contents in adult muscle could allow to decipher unexpected functions for this multi-functional protein. By using the U7-exon skipping strategy, we have combined optimized U7snRNA and gene transfer to achieve long-lasting down regulation of α1S in adult skeletal muscle. Treated muscles underwent massive atrophy while still displaying significant amounts of α1S in the tubular system and being not paralyzed. This atrophy implicated the autophagy-pathway which was triggered by nNOS redistribution, activation of FoxO3A, up-regulation of autophagy-related genes and autophagosome formation. Subcellular investigations showed that this atrophy was correlated with the disappearance of a fraction of α1S located throughout the sarcolemma. Our results reveal for the first time that this sarcolemmal fraction could play a role in a signaling pathway determining muscle anabolic or catabolic state and might act as a molecular sensor of muscle activity.

3D Structure of a Recombinant DHPR Expressed in Mouse

The dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) is an L-type Ca2+ channel that acts as the voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle by tightly controlling the intracellular Ca2+ channel RyR1. Because previous 3D electron microscopic studies have largely not resolved the spatial organization of the DHPR subunits (α1s, α2-δ, β1a, and γ), we constructed mice expressing a β1a subunit with YFP and a biotin acceptor domain attached to its N- and C- termini respectively. This engineered β1a sustains a functional DHPR-RyR1 interaction and viable animals in a β1a null background. DHPRs were purified from mice by means of the (biotinylated) biotin acceptor domain, negatively stained and imaged with electron microscopy. 8,662 individual DHPRs were analyzed using single-particle image processing algorithms. Multivariate statistical analysis, classification, and multi-reference alignment yielded distinct 2D class averages corresponding to different orientations of the macromolecule. The 3D reconstruction, with 25 A resolution, shows two distinct parts: a main body shaped like an irregular pentagon (∼150x125x75 A) with distinct corners, and a hook-shaped feature that extends ∼60 A from the main body. Consistent with the considerable conservation of membrane topology among voltage-gated channels, a good part of the main body can be closely fitted with an atomic structure of a full-length potassium channel, suggesting that the main body contains the α1s subunit. Besides the fitted potassium channel the main body has extra volume that can accommodate the YFP atomic coordinates and other subunits.Supported by NIH/NIAMS (AR055104) to KGB and NIGMS (GM081819) to PDA.

The Qγ component of intra‐membrane charge movement is present in mammalian muscle fibres, but suppressed in the absence of S100A1

S100A1 is a Ca(2+) binding protein that modulates excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in skeletal and cardiac muscle. S100A1 competes with calmodulin for binding to the skeletal muscle SR Ca(2+) release channel (the ryanodine receptor type 1, RyR1) at a site that also interacts with the C-terminal tail of the voltage sensor of EC coupling, the dihydropyridine receptor. Ablation of S100A1 leads to delayed and decreased action potential evoked Ca(2+) transients, possibly linked to altered voltage sensor activation. Here we investigate the effects of S100A1 on voltage sensor activation in skeletal muscle utilizing whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology to record intra-membrane charge movement currents in isolated flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle fibres from wild-type and S100A1 knock-out (KO) mice. In contrast to recent reports, we found that FDB fibres exhibit two distinct components of intra-membrane charge movement, an initial rapid component (Q(beta)), and a delayed, steeply voltage dependent 'hump' component (Q(gamma)) previously recorded primarily in amphibian but not mammalian fibres. Surprisingly, we found that Q(gamma) was selectively suppressed in S100A1 KO fibres, while the Q(beta) component of charge movement was unaffected. This result was specific to S100A1 and not a compensatory result of genetic manipulation, as transient intracellular application of S100A1 restored Q(gamma). Furthermore, we found that exposure to the RyR1 inhibitor dantrolene suppressed a similar component of charge movement in FDB fibres. These results shed light on voltage sensor activation in mammalian muscle, and support S100A1 as a positive regulator of the voltage sensor and Ca(2+) release channel in skeletal muscle EC coupling.

Does the voltage‐gated calcium channel α2δ‐1 subunit play a dual function in skeletal muscle?

The dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR), a high voltage-activated calcium (Ca2+) channel, represents a key element in the excitation–contraction (EC) coupling machinery of muscle cells. In skeletal muscle, the DHPR fulfils two known functions: (i) it controls the ryanodine receptor activity, which makes it commonly referred to as the voltage-sensor for EC coupling and (ii) it supports an L-type voltage-activated Ca2+ current. The DHPR is a macromolecular complex composed of the Cav1.1 pore-forming subunit, surrounded by β1a, γ1 and α2δ-1 auxiliary subunits. Whereas knock-out animals have clearly demonstrated the essential role of Cav1.1 and β1a subunits in EC coupling and in the control of the Ca2+ conductance, the functional importance of α2δ-1 in skeletal muscle remains largely elusive, despite the lethal phenotype of α2δ-1-null embryos. Interestingly, down-regulation of the α2δ-1 protein in the BC3H1 muscle cell line with siRNA only resulted in acceleration of Ca2+ current activation kinetics with no effect on both EC coupling and Cav1.1 trafficking (Obermair et al. 2005). However, it is hard to understand how alteration of Ca2+ current kinetics could be the cause of the lethal phenotype observed in α2δ-1-null mice embryos; instead α2δ-1 is most likely to be involved in other cell functions independent of the DHPR activity. Previous observations suggested such a function: (i) α2δ-1 appears early during muscle development, at a period when the Cav1.1 subunit is not yet expressed, and (ii) sequence analysis of α2δ-1 revealed the presence of consensus domains, known to be involved in cell adhesion and protein–protein interactions (see Fig. 1 for structural organization of the α2δ-1 subunit). In a recent issue of The Journal of Physiology, Garcia et al. raised the possibility that α2δ-1 could mediate the interaction of muscle cells with the extracellular matrix (Garcia et al. 2008). Using immunohistochemistry and a siRNA knock-down strategy, the authors provided new insights into the functional involvement of α2δ-1 in skeletal muscle cells.

γ1-Dependent Down-regulation of Recombinant Voltage-gated Ca2+ Channels

(1) Voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels are multi-subunit membrane complexes that allow depolarization-induced Ca2+ influx into cells. The skeletal muscle L-type CaV channels consist of an ion-conducting CaV1.1 subunit and auxiliary alpha2delta-1, beta1 and gamma1 subunits. This complex serves both as a CaV channel and as a voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling. (2) Though much is known about the mechanisms by which the alpha2delta-1 and beta1 subunits regulate CaV channel function, there is far less information on the gamma1 subunit. Previously, we characterized the interaction of gamma1 with the other components of the skeletal CaV channel complex, and showed that heterologous expression of this auxiliary subunit decreases Ca2+ current density in myotubes from gamma1 null mice. (3) In the current report, using Western blotting we show that the expression of the CaV1.1 protein is significantly lower when it is heterologously co-expressed with gamma1. Consistent with this, patch-clamp recordings showed that transient transfection of gamma1 drastically inhibited macroscopic currents through recombinant N-type (CaV2.2/alpha2delta-1/beta3) channels expressed in HEK-293 cells. (4) These findings provide evidence that co-expression of the auxiliary gamma1 subunit results in a decreased expression of the ion-conducting subunit, which may help to explain the reduction in Ca2+ current density following gamma1 transfection.

Complex of Calmodulin with a Ryanodine Receptor Target Reveals a Novel, Flexible Binding Mode

Calmodulin regulates ryanodine receptor-mediated Ca(2+) release through a conserved binding site. The crystal structure of Ca(2+)-calmodulin bound to this conserved site reveals that calmodulin recognizes two hydrophobic anchor residues at a novel "1-17" spacing that brings the calmodulin lobes close together but prevents them from contacting one another. NMR residual dipolar couplings demonstrate that the detailed structure of each lobe is preserved in solution but also show that the lobes experience domain motions within the complex. FRET measurements confirm the close approach of the lobes in binding the 1-17 target and show that calmodulin binds with one lobe to a peptide lacking the second anchor. We suggest that calmodulin regulates the Ca(2+) channel by switching between the contiguous binding mode seen in our crystal structure and a state where one lobe of calmodulin contacts the conserved binding site while the other interacts with a noncontiguous site on the channel.

Organization of Calcium Channel β1a Subunits in Triad Junctions in Skeletal Muscle

In skeletal muscle, dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) in the plasma membrane interact with the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1) at junctions with the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This interaction organizes junctional DHPRs into groups of four termed tetrads. In addition to the principle alpha1S subunit, the beta1a subunit of the DHPR is also important for the interaction with RyR1. To probe this interaction, we measured fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) of beta1a subunits labeled with cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) and/or yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Expressed in dysgenic (alpha1S-null) myotubes, YFP-beta1a-CFP and CFP-beta1a-YFP were diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm and highly mobile as indicated by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Thus, beta1a does not appear to bind to other cellular proteins in the absence of alpha1S. FRET efficiencies for these cytoplasmic beta1a subunits were approximately 6-7%, consistent with the idea that <10 nm separates the N and C termini. After coexpression with unlabeled alpha1S (in dysgenic or beta1-null myotubes), both constructs produced discrete fluorescent puncta, which correspond to assembled DHPRs in junctions and that did not recover after photobleaching. In beta1-null myotubes, FRET efficiencies of doubly labeled beta1a in puncta were similar to those of the same constructs diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm and appeared to arise intramolecularly, since no FRET was measured when mixtures of singly labeled beta1a (CFP or YFP at the N or C terminus) were expressed in beta1-null myotubes. Thus, DHPRs in tetrads may be arranged such that the N and C termini of adjacent beta1a subunits are located >10 nm from one another.

The α 1S N-terminus is not essential for bi-directional coupling with RyR1

The dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) α 1S II–III loop has been shown to be critical for excitation–contraction (EC) coupling in skeletal muscle, but the importance of other cytoplasmic regions, especially the N-terminus (residues 1–51), remains unclear. In this study, we found that deletion of α 1S residues 2–37 (weakly conserved with N-termini of other L-type Ca 2+ channels) had little effect on the ability of α 1S to serve as a Ca 2+ channel or voltage sensor for EC coupling. Strikingly, deletion of 10 additional residues, which are conserved in L-type channels, resulted in ablation of DHPR function. Specifically, confocal microscopy and measurement of charge movement showed that removal of residues 2–47 resulted in a failure of sarcolemmal insertion. Our results indicate that the weakly conserved, distal α 1S N-terminus is not critical for EC coupling or function as a Ca 2+ channel. However, integrity of the proximal α 1S N-terminus is necessary for sarcolemmal expression of the DHPR.

The role of auxiliary dihydropyridine receptor subunits in muscle

The skeletal muscle dihydropyridine receptor is a slowly-activating calcium channel that functions as the voltage sensor in excitation-contraction coupling. In addition to the pore-forming alpha(1S) subunit it contains the transmembrane alpha(2)delta-1 and gamma(1) subunits and the cytoplasmic beta(1a) subunit. Although the roles of the auxiliary subunits in calcium channel function have been intensively studied in heterologous expression systems, their functions in excitation-contraction coupling has only recently been elucidated in muscle cells of various null-mutant animal models. In this article we will briefly outline the current state of these investigations.

Mapping Sites of Potential Proximity between the Dihydropyridine Receptor and RyR1 in Muscle Using a Cyan Fluorescent Protein-Yellow Fluorescent Protein Tandem as a Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Probe

Excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle involves conformational coupling between the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) and the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1) at junctions between the plasma membrane and sarcoplasmic reticulum. In an attempt to find which regions of these proteins are in close proximity to one another, we have constructed a tandem of cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins (CFP and YFP, respectively) linked by a 23-residue spacer, and measured the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) of the tandem either in free solution or after attachment to sites of the alpha1S and beta1a subunits of the DHPR. For all of the sites examined, attachment of the CFP-YFP tandem did not impair function of the DHPR as a Ca2+ channel or voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling. The free tandem displayed a 27.5% FRET efficiency, which decreased significantly after attachment to the DHPR subunits. At several sites examined for both alpha1S (N-terminal, proximal II-III loop of a two fragment construct) and beta1a (C-terminal), the FRET efficiency was similar after expression in either dysgenic (alpha1S-null) or dyspedic (RyR1-null) myotubes. However, compared with dysgenic myotubes, the FRET efficiency in dyspedic myotubes increased from 9.9 to 16.7% for CFP-YFP attached to the N-terminal of beta1a, and from 9.5 to 16.8% for CFP-YFP at the C-terminal of alpha1S. Thus, the tandem reporter suggests that the C terminus of alpha1S and the N terminus of beta1a may be in close proximity to the ryanodine receptor.

Morphology and Molecular Composition of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Surface Junctions in the Absence of DHPR and RyR in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

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.

Cadmium withdrawal contractures in rat soleus muscle fibres.

Transient "Cd2+ withdrawal" contractures, with amplitudes of < or =60% peak tetanic tension, were seen when > or =3 mM Cd2+ was removed, after exposures lasting > or =5 min, from solutions bathing rat soleus fibres at 22 degrees C with Cl- as the major external anion. The minimum free [Cd2+] for withdrawal contractures was reduced twofold when the external anion was SO4(2-). Withdrawal contractures were not seen after removal of 3 mM Co2+, Zn2+ or La3+ and were not observed in rat extensor digitorum longus fibres. The contractures were not due to depolarization (membrane potential, Vm, did not change during Cd2+ removal) or to an influx of external Ca2+ (the transient tension increase was recorded when solutions either lacked Ca2+, or contained 2 mM Co2+). Cd2+ withdrawal contractures were abolished by inactivation of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) following depolarization in 40 mM K+ for 20 min, and recovered from inactivation at the same time as twitch and tetanic contractions with repriming of ECC. Withdrawal contractures were depressed by agents that depress ECC, i.e. low [Ca2+], 2 mM Co2+, 30 mM Ca2+, 30 mM Mg2+ and 50 microM nifedipine. The results support a hypothesis in which withdrawing Cd2+ from the external solution induces a contracture by activating the voltage sensor for ECC.

Molecular Cloning and Functional Expression of a Skeletal Muscle Dihydropyridine Receptor from Rana catesbeiana

In skeletal muscle the dihydropyridine receptor is the voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling and an L-type Ca2+ channel. We cloned a dihydropyridine receptor (named Fgalpha1S) from frog skeletal muscle, where excitation-contraction coupling has been studied most extensively. Fgalpha1S contains 5600 base pairs coding for 1688 amino acids. It is highly homologous with, and of the same length as, the C-truncated form predominant in rabbit muscle. The primary sequence has every feature needed to be an L-type Ca2+ channel and a skeletal-type voltage sensor. Currents expressed in tsA201 cells had rapid activation (5-10 ms half-time) and Ca2+-dependent inactivation. Although functional expression of the full Fgalpha1S was difficult, the chimera consisting of Fgalpha1S domain I in the rabbit cardiac Ca channel had high expression and a rapidly activating current. The slow native activation is therefore not determined solely by the alpha1 subunit sequence. Its Ca2+-dependent inactivation strengthens the notion that in rabbit skeletal muscle this capability is inhibited by a C-terminal stretch (Adams, B., and Tanabe, T. (1997) J. Gen. Physiol. 110, 379-389). This molecule constitutes a new tool for studies of excitation-contraction coupling, gating, modulation, and gene expression.