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Structural interaction between RyRs and DHPRs in calcium release units of cardiac and skeletal muscle cells.
Excitation-contraction (e-c) coupling in muscle cells is a mechanism that allows transduction of exterior-membrane depolarization in Ca2+ release from the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR). The communication between external and internal membranes is possible thanks to the interaction between Dihydropyridine Receptors (DHPRs), voltage-gated Ca2+ channels located in exterior membranes, and Ryanodine Receptors (RyRs), the Ca2+ release channels of the SR. In both skeletal and cardiac muscle cells the key structural element that allows DHPRs and RyRs to interact with each other is their vicinity. However, the signal that the two molecules use to communicate is not the same in the two muscle types. In the heart, the inward flux of Ca2+ through DHPRs, that follows depolarization, triggers the opening of RyRs (calcium induced calcium release). In skeletal muscle, on the other hand, Ca2+ is not needed for RyRs activation; instead the coupling between the two molecules involves a direct link between them (mechanical coupling). Ultrastructural studies show that functional differences can be explained by differences in the DHPR/RyR reciprocal association: whereas the two proteins are very close to each other in both muscles, DHPRs form tetrads only in skeletal fibers. Tetrads represent the structural DHPR/RyR link that allows Ca2+ independent coupling in skeletal muscle
The ryanodine receptor of striated muscle: a complex channel capable of multiple interactions.
All three ryanodine receptor isoforms generate rapid cooling responses in muscle cells.
The rapid cooling (RC) response in muscle is an increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) that is probably caused by Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). However, the molecular bases of this response have not been completely elucidated. Three different isoforms of the SR Ca2+ release channels, or ryanodine receptors (RyRs), have been isolated (RyR1, RyR2, and RyR3). In the current investigation, the RC response was studied in RyR-null muscle cells (1B5) before and after transduction with HSV-1 virions containing the cDNAs encoding for RyR1, RyR2, or RyR3. Cells were loaded with fluo 4-AM to monitor changes in [Ca2+]i and perfused with either cold ( approximately 0 degrees C), room temperature (RT), or RT buffer containing 40 mM caffeine. Control cells showed no significant response to cold or caffeine, whereas robust Ca2+ transients were recorded in response to both RC and caffeine in transduced cells expressing any one of the three RyR isoforms. Our data demonstrate directly that RyRs are responsible for the RC response and that all three isoforms respond in a similar manner. Ca2+ release from RyRs is likely caused by a RC-induced conformational change of the channel from the closed to the open state
Differential effect of calsequestrin ablation on structure and function of fast and slow twitch skeletal fibers.
We compared structure and function of EDL and Soleus muscles in adult (4-6 m) mice lacking both Calsequestrin (CASQ) isoforms, the main SR Ca2+-binding proteins. Lack of CASQ induced ultrastructural alterations in ~30% of Soleus fibers, but not in EDL. Twitch time parameters were prolonged in both muscles, although tension was not reduced. However, when stimulated for 2 sec at 100 hz, Soleus was able to sustain contraction, while in EDL active tension declined by 70-80%. The results presented in this paper unmask a differential effect of CASQ1&2 ablation in fast versus slow fibers. CASQ is essential in EDL to provide large amount of Ca2+ released from the SR during tetanic stimulation. In contrast, Soleus deals much better with lack of CASQ because slow fibers require lower Ca2+ amounts and slower cycling to function properly. Nevertheless, Soleus suffers more severe structural damage, possibly because SR Ca2+ leak is more pronounced
Shapes, sizes and distributions of Ca2+ release units and couplons in a variety of skeletal and cardiac muscles.
Excitation contraction (e-c) coupling in skeletal and cardiac muscles involves an interaction between specialized junctional domains of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and of exterior membranes (either surface membrane or transverse
(T) tubules). This interaction occurs at special structures named calcium release units (CRUs). CRUs contain two proteins
essential to e-c coupling: dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs), L-type Ca21 channels of exterior membranes; and ryanodine
receptors (RyRs), the Ca21 release channels of the SR. Special CRUs in cardiac muscle are constituted by SR domains
bearing RyRs that are not associated with exterior membranes (the corbular and extended junctional SR or EjSR). Functional
groupings of RyRs and DHPRs within calcium release units have been named couplons, and the term is also loosely applied
to the EjSR of cardiac muscle. Knowledge of the structure, geometry, and disposition of couplons is essential to understand
the mechanism of Ca21 release during muscle activation. This paper presents a compilation of quantitative data on couplons
in a variety of skeletal and cardiac muscles, which is useful in modeling calcium release events, both macroscopic and
microscopic (“sparks”)
TAM-associated CASQ1 mutants diminish intracellular Ca2+ content and interfere with regulation of SOCE
Tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) is a rare myopathy characterized by muscle weakness and myalgia. Muscle fibers from TAM patients show characteristic accumulation of membrane tubules that contain proteins from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Gain-of-function mutations in STIM1 and ORAI1, the key proteins participating in the Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry (SOCE) mechanism, were identified in patients with TAM. Recently, the CASQ1 gene was also found to be mutated in patients with TAM. CASQ1 is the main Ca2+ buffer of the SR and a negative regulator of SOCE. Previous characterization of CASQ1 mutants in non-muscle cells revealed that they display altered Ca2+dependent polymerization, reduced Ca2+storage capacity and alteration in SOCE inhibition. We thus aimed to assess how mutations in CASQ1 affect calcium regulation in skeletal muscles, where CASQ1 is naturally expressed. We thus expressed CASQ1 mutants in muscle fibers from Casq1 knockout mice, which provide a valuable model for studying the Ca2+ storage capacity of TAM-associated mutants. Moreover, since Casq1 knockout mice display a constitutively active SOCE, the effect of CASQ1 mutants on SOCE inhibition can be also properly examined in fibers from these mice. Analysis of intracellular Ca2+ confirmed that CASQ1 mutants have impaired ability to store Ca2+and lose their ability to inhibit skeletal muscle SOCE; this is in agreement with the evidence that alterations in Ca2+entry due to mutations in either STIM1, ORAI1 or CASQ1 represents a hallmark of TAM. © The Author(s) 2024
Structural Adaptation of the Excitation–Contraction Coupling Apparatus in Calsequestrin1-Null Mice during Postnatal Development
The precise arrangement and peculiar interaction of transverse tubule (T-tubule) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes efficiently guarantee adequate contractile properties of skeletal muscle fibers. Fast muscle fibers from mice lacking calsequestrin 1 (CASQ1) are characterized by the profound ultrastructural remodeling of T-tubule/SR junctions. This study investigates the role of CASQ1, an essential component of calcium release units (CRUs), in the postnatal development of muscle fibers. By using CASQ1-knockout mice, we examined the maturation of CRUs and the involvement of different junctional proteins in the juxtaposition of the membrane system. Our morphological investigation of both wild-type (WT) and CASQ1-null extensor digitorum longus (EDL) fibers, from 1 week to 4 months of age, yielded noteworthy findings. Firstly, we observed that the absence of CASQ1 hindered the full maturation of CRUs, despite the correct localization of key junctional components (ryanodine receptor, dihydropyridine receptor, and triadin) to the junctional SR in adult animals. Furthermore, analysis of protein expression profiles related to T-tubule biogenesis and organization (junctophilin 1, amphiphysin 2, caveolin 3, and mitsugumin 29) demonstrated delayed progression in their expression during postnatal development in the absence of CASQ1, suggesting the impaired maturation of CRUs. The absence of CASQ1 directly impacts the proper assembly of CRUs during development and influences the expression and coordination of other proteins involved in T-tubule biogenesis and organization
Lessons from calsequestrin-1 ablation in vivo: much more than a Ca2+ buffer after all
Calsequestrin type-1 (CASQ1), the main sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) binding protein, plays a dual role in skeletal fibers: a) it provides a large pool of rapidly-releasable Ca(2+) during excitation-contraction (EC) coupling; and b) it modulates the activity of ryanodine receptors (RYRs), the SR Ca(2+) release channels. We have generated a mouse lacking CASQ1 in order to further characterize the role of CASQ1 in skeletal muscle. Contrary to initial expectations, CASQ1 ablation is compatible with normal motor activity, in spite of moderate muscle atrophy. However, CASQ1 deficiency results in profound remodeling of the EC coupling apparatus: shrinkage of junctional SR lumen; proliferation of SR/transverse-tubule contacts; and increased density of RYRs. While force development during a twitch is preserved, it is nevertheless characterized by a prolonged time course, likely reflecting impaired Ca(2+) re-uptake by the SR. Finally, lack of CASQ1 also results in increased rate of SR Ca(2+) depletion and inability of muscle to sustain tension during a prolonged tetani. All modifications are more pronounced (or only found) in fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus muscle compared to slow-twitch soleus muscle, likely because the latter expresses higher amounts of calsequestrin type-2 (CASQ2). Surprisingly, male CASQ1-null mice also exhibit a marked increased rate of spontaneous mortality suggestive of a stress-induced phenotype. Consistent with this idea, CASQ1-null mice exhibit an increased susceptibility to undergo a hypermetabolic syndrome characterized by whole body contractures, rhabdomyolysis, hyperthermia and sudden death in response to halothane- and heat-exposure, a phenotype remarkably similar to human malignant hyperthermia and environmental heat-stroke. The latter findings validate the CASQ1 gene as a candidate for linkage analysis in human muscle disorders
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