Effect of long chain unsaturated fatty acids on the calcium transport of sarcoplasmic reticulum

The effect of archidonic, oleic and linoleic acid on calcium uptake and release by sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from longissimus dorsi muscle was investigated using a Ca²⁺ electrode. All three long chain fatty acids stimulated the release of Ca²⁺ from sacroplasmic reticulum when added after exogenous Ca²⁺ was accumulated by the vesicles, and also inhibited Ca²⁺ uptake when added before Ca²⁺. This inhibitory effect on the calcium transport by arachidonic, oleic and linoleic acid was prevented by bovine serum albumin through its ability to bind with the fatty acid. The order of effectiveness of the fatty acids in inhibiting calcium transport by isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum was $\text{arachidonic acid> oleic acid >}$ linoleic acid. Similar inhibition of calcium uptake and induction of calcium release by arachidonic acid was observed in muscle homogenate sarcoplasmic reticulum preparations. Both arachidonic and oleic acid stimulated the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum at low concentrations, but inhibited the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity at high concentrations. The maximal (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺-ATPase activity observed with arachidonic acid was twice that obtained with oleic acid, but the concentration of arachidonic acid required was 3–4-times greater than that of oleic acid. The concentration of arachidonic acid required to give maximum stimulation of the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity was 3.6-times greater than that needed for complete inhibition of calcium accumulation by the sacroplasmic reticulum. With oleic acid, however, the concentration required to give maximum stimulation of the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity inhibited the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ accumulation by 72%. The present data support our hypothesis that, in porcine malignant hyperthermia, unsaturated fatty acids from mitochondrial membranes released by endogenous phospholipase A₂ would induce the sarcoplasmic reticulum to release calcium (Cheah K.S. and Cheah, A.M. (1981) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 634, 70–84).     

Singlet oxygen: a potential culprit in myocardial injury?

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of singlet oxygen in cardiovascular injury. To accomplish this objective, we investigated the effect of singlet oxygen [generated from photoactivation of rose-bengal] on the calcium transport and Ca²⁺-ATPase activity of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum and compared these results with those obtained by superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical. Isolated cardiac SR exposed to rose bengal (10 nM) irradiated at (560 nm) produced a significant inhibition of Ca ²⁺ uptake; from 2.27 ± 0.05 to 0.62 ± 0.05 µmol Ca⁺/mg.min (mean ± SE) (P < 0.01) and Ca²⁺-ATPase activity from 2.08 ± 0.05 µmol Pi/min. mg to 0.28 ± 0.04 µmol Pi/min. mg (mean ± SE) (P < 0.01). The inhibition of calcium uptake and Ca²⁺-ATPase activity by rose bengal derived activatedoxygen (singlet oxygen) was dependent on the duration of exposure and intensity of light. The singlet oxygen scavengers ascorbic acid and histidine significantly protected SR Ca²⁺-ATPase against rose bengal derived activated oxygen species but superoxide dismutase and catalase did not attenuate the inhibition. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of SR exposed to photoactivated rose bengal up to 14 min, demonstrated complete loss of Ca²⁺-ATPase monomer band which was significantly protected by histidine. Irradiation of rose bengal also caused an 18% loss of total sulfhydryl groups of SR. On the other hand, superoxide (generated from xanthine oxidase action on xanthine) and hydroxyl radical (0.5 mM H₂O₂ + Fe²⁺ -EDTA) as well as H₂O₂ (12 mM) were without any effect on the 97,000 dalton Ca²⁺-ATPase band ofsarcoplasmic reticulum. The results suggest that oxidative damage of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum may be mediated by singlet oxygen. This may represent an important mechanism by which the oxidative injury to the myocardium induces both a loss of tension development and arrhythmogenesis.     

Preliminary investigation of sequence-independent DNA binding proteins in rat skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum and their function

To observe the binding of plasmid DNA to non-nuclear DNA binding proteins in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and the effects of this binding on SR function, sarcoplasmic reticulum proteins in rat skeletal muscle were isolated by differential centrifuge and sucrose density-gradient centrifuge. The results showed that there are two sequence-independent DNA binding proteins in SR proteins, the molecular weights of which are 83 and 58 ku, respectively. Ca²⁺ uptake and release of SR were remarkably promoted by the binding of plasmid DNA to DNA binding proteins in SR, the mechanism is probably through increasing of Ca²⁺-ATPase activity in SR and changing of character of Ca²⁺ release channel ryanodine receptors induced by the binding. These results suggest that there exist DNA binding proteins in SR and its binding to DNA may affect Ca²⁺ transport of SR.     

Inhibition of calcium transport in sarcoplasmic reticulum after modification of highly reactive amino groups

Partial labeling of the amino groups of sarcoplasmic reticulum with a complex of fluorescamine with cycloheptaamylose in the presence of ATP results in marked inhibition of Ca²⁺ transport without affecting the enzyme phosphorylation or the Ca²⁺-ATPase activity. Fast labeling, which parallels the time course of inhibition of Ca²⁺ transport, takes place into phosphatidylethanolamine; a slower labeling of the Ca²⁺-ATPase polypeptide was observed. Vesicles in which mainly phosphatidylethanolamine has reacted with the label retain their impermeability barrier to Ca²⁺, as judged by Ca²⁺ efflux measurements and by the stimulation of Ca²⁺-ATPase activity produced by the ionophore A23187. These results suggest that modification of fast-reacting amino groups interferes specifically with the calcium translocation reaction.     

Environmental cadmium is not sequestered by metallothionein in rainbow trout

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum vesicles from rat liver display an ATP-supported Ca²⁺ transport which is mediated by a (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase. During the catalytic cycle the terminal phosphate from ATP is incorporated to form an acid-precipitable reaction product(118 000-M_r in SDS-gel electrophoresis) with stability characteristics of an acylphosphate. Comparative studies with sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from fast-twitch skeletal muscle suggest that the 118 000-M_r phosphopeptide may be identified with the phosphorylated reaction intermediate of a Ca²⁺ transport ATPase in endoplasmic reticulum, similar to that in sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle.     

The Effect of Quinidine on Calcium Accumulation by Isolated Sarcoplasmic Reticulum of Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle

Quinidine potentiates twitch tension and (at higher concentrations) causes contracture of skeletal muscle whereas the same drug reduces tension development of cardiac muscle. To gain insight into the possible differences in the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism of the two types of muscle the effect of quinidine on calcium accumulation by isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum from skeletal and cardiac muscle was investigated. In a medium containing ATP, Mg⁺⁺, oxalate, and ⁴⁵Ca, pharmacologically active concentrations of the drug inhibited calcium accumulation by both skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. The inhibition of the rates of calcium, uptake by the skeletal muscle preparation ranged from 11% with 10^-4 M quinidine to 90% with 10^-3 M quinidine. With the cardiac muscle preparation the inhibition ranged from 16% with 3 x 10^-6 M quinidine to 100% with 10^-3 M quinidine. With both preparations the inhibition of calcium transport was accompanied by an inhibition of the Ca⁺⁺-activated ATPase activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The effect of quinidine on the skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum supports the hypothesis that this compound produces twitch potentiation and contracture by interfering with intracellular calcium, sequestration. Its effect on cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. has been interpreted in terms of the hypothesis that cardiac contractility is a function of the amount of calcium released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum which is in turn dependent upon the absolute calcium content of the reticulum. Hence, following inhibition of calcium transport there would be less calcium available for coupling.     

Regulation of the skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase by phospholamban and negatively charged phospholipids in reconstituted phospholipid vesicles

The Ca²⁺-ATPase of skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum was purified and reconstituted in proteoliposomes containing phosphatidylcholine (PC). When reconstitution occurred in the presence of PC and the acidic phospholipids, phosphatidylserine (PS) or phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP), the Ca²⁺-uptake and Ca²⁺-ATPase activities were significantly increased (2–3 fold). The highest activation was obtained at a 50:50 molar ratio of PSYC and at a 10:90 molar ratio of PIP:PC. The skeletal SR Ca²⁺-ATPase, reconstituted into either PC or PC:PS proteoliposomes, was also found to be regulated by exogenous phospholamban (PLB), which is a regulatory protein specific for cardiac, slow-twitch skeletal, and smooth muscles. Inclusion of PLB into the proteoliposomes was associated with significant inhibition of the initial rates of Ca²⁺-uptake, while phosphorylation of PLB by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase reversed the inhibitory effects. The effects of PLB on the reconstituted Ca²⁺-ATPase were similar in either PC or PC: PS proteoliposomes, indicating that inclusion of negatively charged phospholipid may not affect the interaction of PLB with the skeletal SR Ca²⁺-ATPase. Regulation of the Ca²⁺-ATPase appeared to involve binding with the hydrophilic portion of phospholamban, as evidenced by crosslinking experiments, using a synthetic peptide which corresponded to amino acids 1–25 of phospholamban. These findings suggest that the fast-twitch isoform of the SR Ca²⁺-ATPase may be also regulated by phospholamban although this regulator is not expressed in fast-twitch skeletal muscles.     

Effects of ruthenium red on Ca2+ uptake and ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit skeletal muscle

Ruthenium red, a powerful inhibitor of Ca²⁺ transport by mitochondria, does not inhibit the active Ca²⁺ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle promoted by 5 mM ATP-Mg in the presence or absence of potassium oxalate. Although concentrations of ruthenium red up to 100 μM do not affect the active uptake of Ca²⁺, 25 μM of the inorganic dye inhibit the passive binding of Ca²⁺ by about 50%. This inhibitory effect is observed in sarcoplasmic reticulum even after its lipid fraction is extracted with acetone.Although active Ca²⁺ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum is not inhibited by ruthenium red, in the absence of oxalate it inhibits significantly the Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase activity but not the Mg²⁺-ATPase. However, if potassium oxalate is present, the Ca²⁺-stimulated ATPase is not sensitive to the dye. It is not clear how oxalate functions to protect the Ca²⁺-ATPase against the inhibitor effect of ruthenium red.The high sensitivity to ruthenium red of the Ca²⁺ transport mechanism in mitochondria as compared to the Ca²⁺ transport in sarcoplasmic reticulum may be useful in determining the extent to which each organelle functions in the cell to regulate intracellular free Ca²⁺.     

Active calcium transport via coupling between the enzymatic and the ionophoric sites of Ca2+ + Mg2+-ATPase

The 20K dalton fragment of Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺-ATPase obtained from the tryptically digested sarcoplasmic reticulum has been further purified using Bio-Gel P-100. This removed low-molecular-weight UV-absorbing and positive Lowry-reacting contaminants. The ionophoric activity of the 20K fragment in both oxidized cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine: cholesterol membranes is unaltered by this further purification. The 20K selectivity sequence in phosphatidylcholine: cholesterol membranes is Ba²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Sr²⁺ > Mn²⁺ Mg²⁺. Digestion of intact sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles with trypsin, which results in the dissection of the hydrolytic site (30K) from the ionophoric site (20K), is shown to disrupt energy transduction between ATP hydrolysis and calcium transport. This further implicates the 20K dalton fragment as a calcium transport site. These data and previous evidence are discussed in terms of a proposed model for the ATPase molecular structure and the mechanism of cation transport in sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

Comparison of the effects of the membraneassociated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase on Ca2+-ATPase function in cardiac and slow-twitch skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum

In both cardiac and slow-twitch skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) there are several systems involved in the regulation of Ca²⁺-ATPase function. These include substrate level regulation, covalent modification via phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of phospholamban by both cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) as well as direct CaM kinase phosphorylation of the Ca²⁺-ATPase. Studies comparing, the effects of PKA and CaM kinase on cardiac Ca²⁺-ATPase function have yielded differing results; similar studies have not been performed in slow-twitch skeletal muscle. It has been suggested recently, however, that phospholamban is not tightly coupled to the Ca²⁺-ATPase in SR vesicles from slow-twitch skeletal muscle. Our results indicate that assay conditions strongly influence the extent of CaM kinase-dependent Ca²⁺-ATPase stimulation seen in both cardiac and slow-twitch skeletal muscle. Addition of calmodulin (0.2 M) directly to the Ca²⁺ transport assay medium results in minimal ( 112–130% of control) stimulation of Ca²⁺ uptake activity when the Ca²⁺ uptake reaction is initiated by the addition of either ATP or Ca²⁺/EGTA. On the other hand, prephosphorylation of the SR by the endogenous CaM kinase and subsequent transfer of the membranes to the Ca²⁺ transport assay medium results in stimulation of Ca²⁺ uptake activity (202% of control). These effects are observable in both cardiac and slow-twitch skeletal muscle SR. PKA stimulates Ca²⁺ uptake markedly (215% of control) when the Ca²⁺ uptake reaction is initiated by the addition of prephosphorylated SR membranes or by Ca²⁺/EGTA but minimally (130% of control) when the Ca²⁺ uptake reaction is initiated by the addition of ATP. These findings imply that (a) phospholamban is coupled to the Ca²⁺-ATPase in slow-twitch skeletal muscle SR (as in cardiac SR), and (b) the amount of Ca²⁺ uptake stimulation seen upon the addition of calmodulin or PKA depends strongly on the assay conditions employed. Our observations help to explain the wide range of effects of calmodulin or PKA addition reported in previous studies. It should be noted that, since CaM kinase is now known to phosphorylate the Ca²⁺-ATPase in addition to phospholamban, further studies are required to determine the relative contributions of phospholambanversus Ca²⁺-ATPase phosphorylation in the stimulation of Ca²⁺-ATPase function by CaM kinase. Also, earlier studies attributing all of the effects of CaM kinase stimulation of Ca²⁺ uptake and Ca²⁺-ATPase activity to phospholamban phosphorylation need to be re-examined.     

Highly purified sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles are devoid of Ca2+-independent (‘basal’) ATPase activity

On solubilization with Triton X-100 of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated by differential centrifugation, the Ca²⁺-ATPase is selectively extracted while approximately half of the initial Mg²⁺-, or ‘basal’, ATPase remains in the Triton X-100 insoluble residue. The insoluble fraction, which does not contain the 100 000 dalton polypeptide of the Ca²⁺-ATPase, contains high levels of cytochrome c oxidase. Furthermore, its Mg²⁺-ATPase activity is inhibited by specific inhibitors of mitochondrial ATPase, indicating that the ‘basal’ ATPase separated from the Ca²⁺-ATPase by detergent extraction originates from mitochondrial contaminants.To minimize mitochondrial contamination, sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were fractionated by sedimentation in discontinuous sucrose density gradients into four fractions: heavy, intermediate and light, comprising among them 90–95% of the initial sarcoplasmic reticulum protein, and a very light fraction, which contains high levels of Mg²⁺-ATPase. Only the heavy, intermediate and light fractions originate from sarcoplasmic reticulum; the very light fraction is of surface membrane origin. Each fraction of sarcoplasmic reticulum origin was incubated with calcium phosphate in the presence of ATP and the loaded fractions were separated from the unloaded fractions by sedimentation in discontinuous sucrose density gradients. It was found that vesicles from the intermediate fraction had, after loading, minimal amounts of mitochondrial and surface membrane contamination, and displayed little or no Ca²⁺-independent basal ATPase activity. This shows conclusively that the basal ATPase is not an intrinsic enzymatic activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, but probably originates from variable amounts of mitochondrial and surface membrane contamination in sarcoplasmic reticulum preparations isolated by conventional procedures.     

Characterization of Mg2+- and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase activity in adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum

The presence of an energy-dependent calcium uptake system in adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum (D. E. Bruns, J. M. McDonald, and L. Jarett, 1976, J. Biol. Chem.251, 7191–7197) suggested that this organelle might possess a calcium-stimulated transport ATPase. This report describes two types of ATPase activity in isolated microsomal vesicles: a nonspecific, divalent cation-stimulated ATPase (Mg²⁺-ATPase) of high specific activity, and a specific, calcium-dependent ATPase (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺-ATPase) of relatively low activity. Mg²⁺-ATPase activity was present in preparations of mitochondria and plasma membranes as well as microsomes, whereas the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity appeared to be localized in the endoplasmic reticulum component of the microsomal fraction. Characterization of microsomal Mg²⁺-ATPase activity revealed apparent K_m values of 115 μm for ATP, 333 μm for magnesium, and 200 μm for calcium. Maximum Mg²⁺-ATPase activity was obtained with no added calcium and 1 mm magnesium. Potassium was found to inhibit Mg²⁺-ATPase activity at concentrations greater than 100 mm. The energy of activation was calculated from Arrhenius plots to be 8.6 kcal/mol. Maximum activity of microsomal (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase was 13.7 nmol ³²P/mg/min, which represented only 7% of the total ATPase activity. The enzyme was partially purified by treatment of the microsomes with 0.09% deoxycholic acid in 0.15 m KCl which increased the specific activity to 37.7 nmol ³²P/mg/min. Characterization of (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity in this preparation revealed a biphasic dependence on ATP with a Hill coefficient of 0.80. The apparent K_m^s for magnesium and calcium were 125 and 0.6–1.2 μm, respectively. (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity was stimulated by potassium with an apparent K_m of 10 mm and maximum activity reached at 100 mm potassium. The energy of activation was 21.5 kcal/mol. The kinetics and ionic requirements of (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase are similar to those of the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase in sarcoplasmic reticulum. These results suggest that the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase of adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum functions as a calcium transport enzyme.     

Resistance of Ca2+-ATPase to dilution by excess phospholipid in reconstituted vesicles

Ca²⁺-ATPase and other membrane proteins of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane from rabbit skeletal muscle have been reconstituted into lipid vesicles with increasing amounts of phosphatidylcholine. The protein composition and phospholipid concentration of these vesicles were analyzed by determining the density of the reconstituted membrane vesicles on linear H₂O-²H₂O gradients, in a constant concentration of sucrose. In all combinations of the Ca²⁺-ATPase with a weight excess of phosphatidylcholine, the reconstituted vesicles had a phospholipid-to-protein ratio similar to that of the native sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, even though both solubilization and mixing had occurred. These vesicles of low phospholipid and high protein content exhibited all the original Ca²⁺-ATPase activity and ATP-stimulated calcium transport. The Ca²⁺-ATPase, and the calcium-binding proteins to a lesser extent, may order the lipid in such a manner so as to maintain the initial stoichiometry of lipid to protein observed in the native sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane.     

Heparin-derived oligosaccharides interact with the phospholamban cytoplasmic domain and stimulate SERCA function

The association between the cardiac transmembrane proteins phospholamban and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA2a) regulates the active transport of Ca²⁺ into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) lumen and controls the contraction and relaxation of the heart. Heart failure (HF) and cardiac hypertrophy have been linked to defects in Ca²⁺ uptake by the cardiac SR and stimulation of calcium transport by modulation of the PLB-SERCA interaction is a potential therapy. This work is part of an effort to identify compounds that destabilise the PLB-SERCA interaction in well-defined membrane environments. It is shown that heparin-derived oligosaccharides (HDOs) interact with the cytoplasmic domain of PLB and consequently stimulate SERCA activity. These results indicate that the cytoplasmic domain of PLB is functionally important and could be a valid target for compounds with drug-like properties.     

Calcium efflux from sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Ca²⁺ efflux was studied in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. In experimental conditions in which the Ca²⁺ pump is reversed, the rate of Ca^2? efflux varies with the ADP, orthophosphate and Mg²⁺ concentrations of the assay medium and is inhibited by Na⁺.     

The presence and binding characteristics of calmodulin in microsomal preparations enriched in sarcoplasmic reticulum from rabbit skeletal muscle

ATP-dependent oxalate facilitated calcium transport in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) preparations obtained from rabbit vastus lateralis muscle (fast skeletal muscle; F_sr) and soleus (slow skeletal muscle; S_sr) was determined. Addition of exogenous calmodulin did not stimulate calcium transport in either F_sr or S_sr preparations. F_sr and S_sr previously washed in 1 mM EGTA demonstrated a reduced capacity to transport Ca²⁺; the exogenous addition of calmodulin (0.24 μM) under these conditions, did not restore uptake activity but significantly decreased the steady-state level of Ca²⁺ uptake. Extracts of skeletal SR prepared by treatment with 0.2 mM EDTA and boiling produced significantly more stimulation of red cell Ca²⁺ATPase activity than extracts prepared by boiling alone. This stimulation of red cell Ca²⁺-ATPase was inhibited to a significant extent by $\text{48}\text{80}$, a known anti-calmodulin agent. Radioimmunoassay revealed that extracts prepared by boiling or EDTA-treatment followed by boiling contained considerable amounts of calmodulin. Washing with 1 mM EGTA, though, did not release any calmodulin from SR. These studies reveal that calmodulin is present in both F_sr and S_sr and can only be removed by harsh treatments. The role of calmodulin in skeletal muscle Ca²⁺-transport remains to be determined.     

Influence of monovalent cations on the Ca2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from rabbit skeletal and dog cardiac muscles. An interpretation of transient-state kinetic data

Transient-state kinetics of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the Ca²⁺-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from rabbit skeletal and dog cardiac muscles were studied in the presence of varying concentrations of monovalent and divalent cations. Monovalent cations affect the two types of sarcoplasmic reticulum differently. When the rabbit skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum was Ca²⁺ deficient, preincubation with K⁺ (as compared with preincubation with choline chloride) did not affect initial phosphorylation at various concentrations of Ca²⁺, added with ATP to phosphorylate the enzyme. This is in contrast to preincubation with K⁺ of the Ca²⁺-deficient dog cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, which resulted in an increase in the phosphoenzyme level. When Ca²⁺ was bound to the rabbit skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum, K⁺ inhibited E ~ P formation; but under the same conditions, E ~ P formation of dog cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum was activated by K⁺ at 12 μM Ca²⁺ and inhibited at 0.33 and 1.3 μM Ca²⁺. Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ also have different effects on E ~ P decomposition of skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. The latter responded less to these cations than the former. Studies with ADP revealed differences between the two types of sarcoplasmic reticulum. For rabbit skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum, 40% of the phosphoenzyme formed was ‘ADP sensitive’, and the decay of the remaining E ~ P was enhanced by K⁺ and ADP. Dog cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum yielded about 40–48% ADP-sensitive E ~ P, but the decomposition rate of the remaining E ~ P was close to the rate measured in the absence of ADP. Thus, these studies showed certain qualitative differences in the transformation and decomposition of phosphoenzymes between skeletal and cardiac muscle which may have bearing on physiological differences between the two muscle types.     

Early postnatal changes in sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium transport function in spontaneously hypertensive rats

This comparative study investigates the relationship between sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium(Ca²⁺)-ATPase transport activity and phospholamban (PLB) phosphorylation in whole cardiac homogenates of spo`ntaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their parent, normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) strain during early postnatal development at days 1, 3, 6, 12 and at day 40 to ascertain any difference in SR Ca²⁺ handling before the onset of hypertension. At day 1, the rate of homogenate oxalate-supported Ca²⁺ uptake was significantly higher in SHR than in WKY (0.25 ± 0.02 vs 0.12 ± 0.01 nmoles Ca²⁺/mg wet ventricular weight/min, respectively; p < 0.001). This interstrain difference disappeared with further developmental increase in SR Ca²⁺ transport. Western Blot analysis and a semiquantitative ELISA did not reveal any difference in the amount of immunoreactive PLB (per mg of total tissue protein) between strains at any of the ages studied. In addition, levels of phosphorylated PLB formed in vitro in the presence of radiolabelled ATP and catalytic (C) subunit of protein kinase A did not differ between SHR and WKY at days 1, 3, 6 and 12. At day 40, C subunit-catalyzed formation of ³²P-PLB was reduced by 66% (p < 0.001) in SHR when compared to age-matched WKY In the early postnatal period between day 1 and 12 SR Ca²⁺-transport values were linearly related to the respective ³²P-PLB levels of both SHR and WKY rats. The results indicate that cardiac SR of SHR can sequester Ca²⁺ at a much higher rate immediately after birth compared to WKY rats. The disappearance of this interstrain difference with further development suggests that some endogenous neuroendocrine or nutritional factor(s) from the hypertensive mother may exert an influence upon the developing heart in utero resulting in a transiently advanced maturation of the SR Ca²⁺ transport function in SHR pups at the time of birth.     

A method for measuring sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake in skeletal muscle using Fura-2

We have presented an assay for measuring the rate of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ uptake and Ca²⁺ release in skeletal muscle homogenates using the fluorescent Ca²⁺ probe Fura-2. Using this assay, we investigated the effects of an elevated temperature (40°C) and lowered pH (6.8), two factors proposed to be involved in skeletal muscle fatigue, on SR Ca²⁺ uptake. The EDL muscle was found to have a higher rate of Ca²⁺ uptake than the soleus (34%). Exposure of the muscles to a raised temperature, but not a reduced pH, resulted in a reduction in the rate of Ca²⁺ uptake in both the EDL and soleus homogenates. This uptake process was blocked by cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) a specific inhibitor of the major transport protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the Ca²⁺-ATPase. Calcium release was induced using AgNO₃ after loading of the vesicles during the uptake process. It was found that AgNO₃ was only effective in producing Ca²⁺ release in the EDL muscles. The soleus muscles did not release Ca²⁺ under varying [Mg²⁺] or with Hg²⁺ substitution for Ag⁺, suggesting that fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibres require different conditions for maximum Ca²⁺-release, or that different isoforms of the Ca²⁺ release channels are present in the different fibres.     

Effect of acylphosphates on Ca2+ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

The data presented in this paper concern a kinetic study of the calcium uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles and of the hydrolysis of the substrates which support the process. The results show that substrates which are different from ATP, acetylphosphate, and carbamylphosphate are able to support calcium transport. The technique used to follow the process allows us to detect continuously the changes in the concentration of the calcium present in the external medium. In our experimental conditions the calcium uptake supported by all the high energy substrates tested proceeds for several seconds at a constant rate, presumably corresponding to the “steady state” of the process; furthermore the calcium transport is clearly Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ dependent: the lowering of the Ca⁺ concentration in the medium from 10^?4 to 10^?5m causes a remarkable reduction of the V of the calcium transport and an apparent increase of the affinity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles for the acylphosphates; in the absence of Mg²⁺, none of the substrates is able to support the calcium uptake which increases in the presence of rising amounts of Mg²⁺ in the reaction medium. Furthermore, both the calcium transport and the substrate hydrolysis appear to follow the Michaelis-Menten kinetics in the presence of acylphosphates but not in the presence of ATP. The hydrolytic activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles on ATP and acylphosphates reveals a clear Mg²⁺ dependence; furthermore, in the absence of free Ca²⁺ and in the presence of 5 mm Mg²⁺, the high energy substrates tested reveal a different susceptibility to the hydrolitic attack by sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles.