Retrograde activation of store-operated calcium channel

Store-operated Ca2+ entry represents an important mechanism for refilling of a depleted intracellular-reticulum Ca2+ store following sustained activation of the IP3 receptor or ryanodine receptor RyR/Ca2+ release channel in the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR). Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of store-operated Ca2+ channel (SOC) in muscle cells, whose activation process appears to be coupled to conformational changes of the RyR. Regulation of the plasma membrane (PM)-resided SOC by the SR-located RyR requires an integrity of the junctional membrane structure between SR and PM. Proteins that interact with RyR or influence the Ca2+ buffering capacity in the ER or SR lumen also participate in the activation process of SOC. Calsequestrin (CSQ) and calreticulin (CRT) are SR/ER-resident proteins, with highly negative charged regions at the carboxyl-terminal end that exhibit high buffering capacity for luminal Ca2+. CSQ and CRT not only modulate the intracellular Ca2+ release process but also might provide retrograde signals to regulate the function of SOC. The functional interplay between CSQ, RyR and SOC may serve essential roles of Ca2+ signaling in muscle contraction and development. A tight link between the expression of CRT and operation of SOC exist in certain cancer cells, where the reduced sensitivity to apoptosis may correlate with the altered function of SOC.     

STIM1 signalling controls store-operated calcium entry required for development and contractile function in skeletal muscle

It is now well established that stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) is the calcium sensor of endoplasmic reticulum stores required to activate store-operated calcium entry (SOC) channels at the surface of non-excitable cells. However, little is known about STIM1 in excitable cells, such as striated muscle, where the complement of calcium regulatory molecules is rather disparate from that of non-excitable cells. Here, we show that STIM1 is expressed in both myotubes and adult skeletal muscle. Myotubes lacking functional STIM1 fail to show SOC and fatigue rapidly. Moreover, mice lacking functional STIM1 die perinatally from a skeletal myopathy. In addition, STIM1 haploinsufficiency confers a contractile defect only under conditions where rapid refilling of stores would be needed. These findings provide insight into the role of STIM1 in skeletal muscle and suggest that STIM1 has a universal role as an ER/SR calcium sensor in both excitable and non-excitable cells.     

Shape, size, and distribution of Ca(2+) release units and couplons in 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 Ca(2+) channels of exterior membranes; and ryanodine receptors (RyRs), the Ca(2+) 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 Ca(2+) 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").     

Activation of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Sensor STIM1 and Store-Operated Calcium Entry by Rotavirus Requires NSP4 Viroporin Activity

Rotavirus nonstructural protein 4 (NSP4) induces dramatic changes in cellular calcium homeostasis. These include increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) permeability, resulting in decreased ER calcium stores and activation of plasma membrane (PM) calcium influx channels, ultimately causing a 2- to 4-fold elevation in cytoplasmic calcium. Elevated cytoplasmic calcium is absolutely required for virus replication, but the underlying mechanisms responsible for calcium influx remain poorly understood. NSP4 is an ER-localized viroporin, whose activity depletes ER calcium, which ultimately leads to calcium influx. We hypothesized that NSP4-mediated depletion of ER calcium activates store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) through activation of the ER calcium sensor stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1). We established and used a stable yellow fluorescent protein-expressing STIM1 cell line (YFP-STIM1) as a biosensor to assess STIM1 activation (puncta formation) by rotavirus infection and NSP4 expression. We found that STIM1 is constitutively active in rotavirus-infected cells and that STIM1 puncta colocalize with the PM-localized Orai1 SOCE calcium channel. Expression of wild-type NSP4 activated STIM1, resulting in PM calcium influx, but an NSP4 viroporin mutant failed to induce STIM1 activation and did not activate the PM calcium entry pathway. Finally, knockdown of STIM1 significantly reduced rotavirus yield, indicating STIM1 plays a critical role in virus replication. These data demonstrate that while rotavirus may ultimately activate multiple calcium channels in the PM, calcium influx is predicated on NSP4 viroporin-mediated activation of STIM1 in the ER. This is the first report of viroporin-mediated activation of SOCE, reinforcing NSP4 as a robust model to understand dysregulation of calcium homeostasis during virus infections.     

Molecular architecture of membranes involved in excitation-contraction coupling of cardiac muscle

Peripheral couplings are junctions between the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and the surface membrane (SM). Feet occupy the SR/SM junctional gap and are identified as the SR calcium release channels, or ryanodine receptors (RyRs). In cardiac muscle, the activation of RyRs during excitation-contraction (e-c) coupling is initiated by surface membrane depolarization, followed by the opening of surface membrane calcium channels, the dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs). We have studied the disposition of DHPRs and RyRs, and the structure of peripheral couplings in chick myocardium, a muscle that has no transverse tubules. Immunolabeling shows colocalization of RyRs and DHPRs in clusters at the fiber's periphery. The positions of DHPR and RyR clusters change coincidentally during development. Freeze-fracture of the surface membrane reveals the presence of domains (junctional domains) occupied by clusters of large particles. Junctional domains in the surface membrane and arrays of feet in the junctional gap have similar sizes and corresponding positions during development, suggesting that both are components of peripheral couplings. As opposed to skeletal muscle, membrane particles in junctional domains of cardiac muscle do not form tetrads. Thus, despite their proximity to the feet, they do not appear to be specifically associated with them. Two observations establish the identify of the structurally identified feet arrays/junctional domain complexes with the immunocytochemically defined RyRs/DHPRs coclusters: the concomitant changes during development and the identification of feet as the cytoplasmic domains of RyRs. We suggest that the large particles in junctional domains of the surface membrane represent DHPRs. These observations have two important functional consequences. First, the apposition of DHPRs and RyRs indicates that most of the inward calcium current flows into the restricted space where feet are located. Secondly, contrary to skeletal muscle, presumptive DHPRs do not show a specific association with the feet, which is consistent with a less direct role of charge movement in cardiac than in skeletal e-c coupling.     

Remodelling of the endoplasmic reticulum during store-operated calcium entry

SOCE (store-operated calcium entry) is a ubiquitous cellular mechanism linking the calcium depletion of the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) to the activation of PM (plasma membrane) Ca2+-permeable channels. The activation of SOCE channels favours the entry of extracellular Ca2+ into the cytosol, thereby promoting the refilling of the depleted ER Ca2+ stores as well as the generation of long-lasting calcium signals. The molecules that govern SOCE activation comprise ER Ca2+ sensors [STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1) and STIM2], PM Ca2+-permeable channels {Orai and TRPC [TRP (transient receptor potential) canonical]} and regulatory Ca2+-sensitive cytosolic proteins {CRACR2 [CRAC (Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ current) regulator 2]}. Upon Ca2+ depletion of the ER, STIM molecules move towards the PM to bind and activate Orai or TRPC channels, initiating calcium entry and store refilling. This molecular rearrangement is accompanied by the formation of specialized compartments derived from the ER, the pre-cER (cortical ER) and cER. The pre-cER appears on the electron microscope as thin ER tubules enriched in STIM1 that extend along microtubules and that are devoid of contacts with the PM. The cER is located in immediate proximity to the PM and comprises thinner sections enriched in STIM1 and devoid of chaperones that might be dedicated to calcium signalling. Here, we review the molecular interactions and the morphological changes in ER structure that occur during the SOCE process.     

Co-expression of MG29 and ryanodine receptor leads to apoptotic cell death: effect mediated by intracellular Ca2+ release

Perturbation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis has been shown to regulate the process of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Our previous studies show that mitsugumin 29 (MG29), a synaptophysin-related protein localized in the triad junction of skeletal muscle, serves an essential role in muscle Ca2+ signaling by regulating the process of store-operated Ca2+ entry. Here we report a functional interaction between MG29 and the ryanodine receptor (RyR)/Ca2+ release channel. The purified MG29 protein enhances activity of the RyR/Ca2+ release channel incorporated into the lipid bilayer membrane. Co-expression of MG29 and RyR in Chinese hamster ovary cells leads to apoptotic cell death resulting from depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, despite neither protein expression alone exhibits any significant effect on cell viability. In transient expression studies, the presence of RyR in the endoplasmic reticulum leads to retention of MG29 from the plasma membrane into the intracellular organelles. This functional interaction between MG29 and RyR could have important implications in the Ca2+ signaling processes of muscle cells. Our data also show that perturbation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis can serve as a key signal in the initiation of apoptosis.     

Organization of Ca2+ release units in excitable smooth muscle of the guinea-pig urinary bladder

Ca(2+) release from internal stores (sarcoplasmic reticulum or SR) in smooth muscles is initiated either via pharmaco-mechanical coupling due to the action of an agonist and involving IP3 receptors, or via excitation-contraction coupling, mostly involving L-type calcium channels in the plasmalemma (DHPRs), and ryanodine receptors (RyRs), or Ca(2+) release channels of the SR. This work focuses attention on the structural basis for the coupling between DHPRs and RyRs in phasic smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig urinary bladder. Immunolabeling shows that two proteins of the SR: calsequestrin and the RyR, and one protein the plasmalemma, the L-type channel or DHPR, are colocalized with each other within numerous, peripherally located sites located within the caveolar domains. Electron microscopy images from thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas identify feet in small peripherally located SR vesicles containing calsequestrin and distinctive large particles clustered within small membrane areas. Both feet and particle clusters are located within caveolar domains. Correspondence between the location of feet and particle clusters and of RyR- and DHPR-positive foci allows the conclusion that calsequestrin, RyRs, and L-type Ca(2+) channels are associated with peripheral couplings, or Ca(2+) release units, constituting the key machinery involved in excitation-contraction coupling. Structural analogies between smooth and cardiac muscle excitation-contraction coupling complexes suggest a common basic mechanism of action.     

Visualizing the store-operated channel complex assembly in real time: Identification of SERCA2 as a new member

Depletion of intracellular calcium stores leads to the activation of calcium influx via the so-called store-operated channels (SOCs). Recent evidence positions Orai proteins as the putative channels responsible for this process. The stromal interacting molecule (STIM1) has been recently identified as the calcium sensor located at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and responsible for communicating the deplete state of calcium stores to Orai at the plasma membrane (PM). However, recent experimental findings suggest that Orai and STIM1 are only part of a larger molecular complex required to modulate store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). In the present study we describe the assembly of the several of the components from the SOC complex in real-time, utilizing a novel imaging method. Using FRET imaging we show that under resting conditions (with calcium stores replenished) STIM1 travels continuously through the ER associated to the microtubule tracking protein, EB1. Upon depletion of the ER STIM1 dissociates from EB1 and aggregates into macromolecular complexes at the ER which includes the microsomal calcium ATPase. This association follows the assembly of Orai into macromolecular aggregates at the PM. We show that STIM1–Orai association follows a similar time course as that of Orai aggregation at the PM. During this last step of the process, calcium-selective, whole-cell inward currents developed, simultaneously. We show that this process is fully reversible. Replenishing intracellular calcium stores induces STIM1–Orai complex dissociation and shuts down inward currents. Under these conditions STIM1 re-associates to EB1, and reinitiates its travel through the ER.     

Molecular architecture of Ca2+ signaling control in muscle and heart cells

Ca2+ signaling in skeletal and cardiac muscles is a bi-directional process that involves cross-talk between signaling molecules in the sarcolemmal membrane and Ca2+ release machinery in the intracellular organelles. Maintenance of a junctional membrane structure between the sarcolemmal membrane and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) provides a framework for the conversion of action potential arrived at the sarcolemma into release of Ca2+ from the SR, leading to activation of a variety of physiological processes. Activity-dependent changes in Ca2+ storage inside the SR provides a retrograde signal for the activation of store-operated Ca2+ channel (SOC) on the sarcolemmal membrane, which plays important roles in the maintenance of Ca2+ homeostasis in physiology and pathophysiology. Research progress during the last 30 years had advanced our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms for the control of Ca2+ signaling in muscle and cardiovascular physiology. Here we summarize the functions of three key molecules that are located in the junctional membrane complex of skeletal and cardiac muscle cells: junctophilin as a "glue" that physiologically links the SR membrane to the sarcolemmal membrane for formation of the junctional membrane framework, mitsugumin29 as a muscle-specific synaptophysin family protein that contributes to maintain the coordinated Ca2+ signaling in skeletal muscle, and TRIC as a novel cation-selective channel located on the SR membrane that provides counter-ion current during the rapid process of Ca2+ release from the SR.     

Role of STIM1/Orai1-mediated store-operated Ca²⁺ entry in airway smooth muscle cell proliferation

Hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is a characteristic change of chronic asthma patients. However, the underlying mechanisms that trigger this process are not yet completely understood. Store-operated Ca(2+) (SOC) entry (SOCE) occurs in response to the intracellular sarcoplasma reticulum (SR)/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) store depletion. SOCE plays an important role in regulating Ca(2+) signaling and cellular responses of ASMCs. Stromal interaction molecule (STIM)1 has been proposed as an ER/SR Ca(2+) sensor and translocates to the ER underneath the plasma membrane upon depletion of the ER Ca(2+) store, where it interacts with Orai1, the molecular component of SOC channels, and brings about SOCE. STIM1 and Orai1 have been proved to mediate SOCE of ASMCs. In this study, we investigated whether STIM1/Orai1-mediated SOCE is involved in rat ASMC proliferation. We found that SOCE was upregulated during ASMC proliferation accompanied by a mild increase of STIM1 and a significant increase of Orai1 mRNA expression, whereas the proliferation of ASMCs was partially inhibited by the SOC channel blockers SKF-96365, NiCl(2), and BTP-2. Suppressing the mRNA expression of STIM1 or Orai1 with specific short hairpin RNA resulted in the attenuation of SOCE and ASMC proliferation. Moreover, after knockdown of STIM1 or Orai1, the SOC channel blocker SKF-96365 had no inhibitory effect on the proliferation of ASMCs anymore. These results suggested that STIM1/Orai1-mediated SOCE is involved in ASMC proliferation.     

Muscle aging is associated with compromised Ca2+ spark signaling and segregated intracellular Ca2+ release

Reduced homeostatic capacity for intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) movement may underlie the progression of sarcopenia and contractile dysfunction during muscle aging. We report two alterations to Ca2+ homeostasis in skeletal muscle that are associated with aging. Ca2+ sparks, which are the elemental units of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, are silent under resting conditions in young muscle, yet activate in a dynamic manner upon deformation of membrane structures. The dynamic nature of Ca2+ sparks appears to be lost in aged skeletal muscle. Using repetitive voltage stimulation on isolated muscle preparations, we identify a segregated [Ca2+]i reserve that uncouples from the normal excitation-contraction process in aged skeletal muscle. Similar phenotypes are observed in adolescent muscle null for a synaptophysin-family protein named mitsugumin-29 (MG29) that is involved in maintenance of muscle membrane ultrastructure and Ca2+ signaling. This finding, coupled with decreased expression of MG29 in aged skeletal muscle, suggests that MG29 expression is important in maintaining skeletal muscle Ca2+ homeostasis during aging.     

Abnormal formation of sarcoplasmic reticulum networks and triads during early development of skeletal muscle cells in mitsugumin29-deficient mice

Recently, we detected a novel membrane protein, mitsugumin29 (MG29), in the triads in rabbit skeletal muscle cells and suggested important roles for this membrane protein in the formation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) networks and triads in muscle cells. In the present study, we examined the development of skeletal muscle cells in MG29-deficient mice to try to determine the roles played by MG29 in the formation of the SR networks and triads. Ultrastructural observations revealed some morphological abnormalities in these mice, such as incomplete formation of the SR networks, an irregular running of the transverse tubule and a partial defect in the triads at the A-I junctional region. These ultrastructural abnormalities occurred during early myogenesis and were preserved until the adult stage. The possible roles for MG29 in the formation of SR networks and triads in skeletal muscle cells are discussed in the light of these observations.     

Molecular architecture of Ca2+ signaling control in muscle and heart cells

Ca²⁺ signaling in skeletal and cardiac muscles is a bi-directional process that involves cross-talk between signaling molecules in the sarcolemmal membrane and Ca²⁺ release machinery in the intracellular organelles. Maintenance of a junctional membrane structure between the sarcolemmal membrane and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) provides a framework for the conversion of action potential arrived at the sarcolemma into release of Ca²⁺ from the SR, leading to activation of a variety of physiological processes. Activity-dependent changes in Ca²⁺ storage inside the SR provides a retrograde signal for the activation of store-operated Ca²⁺ channel (SOC) on the sarcolemmal membrane, which plays important roles in the maintenance of Ca²⁺ homeostasis in physiology and pathophysiology. Research progress during the last 30 years had advanced our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms for the control of Ca²⁺ signaling in muscle and cardiovascular physiology. Here we summarize the functions of three key molecules that are located in the junctional membrane complex of skeletal and cardiac muscle cells: junctophilin as a “glue” that physiologically links the SR membrane to the sarcolemmal membrane for formation of the junctional membrane framework, mitsugumin29 as a muscle-specific synaptophysin family protein that contributes to maintain the coordinated Ca²⁺ signaling in skeletal muscle, and TRIC as a novel cation-selective channel located on the SR membrane that provides counter-ion current during the rapid process of Ca²⁺ release from the SR.     

Functional implications of RyR-dHPR relationships in skeletal and cardiac muscles

Dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) interact during EC coupling within calcium release units, CRUs. The location of the two channels and their positioning are related to their role in EC coupling. alphals DHPR and RyR1 of skeletal muscle form interlocked arrays. Groups of four DHPRs (forming a tetrad) are located on alternate RyR1s. This association provides the structural framework for reciprocal signaling between the two channels. RyR3 are present in some skeletal muscles in association with RyR1 and in ratios up to 1:1. RyR3 neither induce formation of tetrads by DHPRs nor sustain EC coupling. RyR3 are located in a parajunctional position, in proximity of the RyR1-DHPR complexes, and they may be indirectly activated by calcium liberated via the RyR1 channels. RyR2 have two locations in cardiac muscle. One is at CRUs that contain DHPRs and RyRs. In these cardiac CRUs, RyR2 and alpha1c DHPR are in proximity of each other, but not closely linked, so that they may not have a direct molecular interaction. A second location of RyR2 is on SR cisternae that are not attached to surface membrane/T tubules. The RyR2 in these cisternae, which are often several microns away from any DHPRs, must necessarily be activated indirectly.     

心肌细胞兴奋-收缩偶联的微观机制

心肌细胞的兴奋 收缩偶联 (ECC)本质上是胞膜上的电压门控L 型钙通道 (LCCs)和胞内ryanodine受体 (RyRs)之间通过钙诱导钙释放 (CICR)机制进行沟通进而引发肌细胞收缩的过程。最近的研究进一步揭示了微观水平上LCCs和RyRs之间的信息联系。在钙偶联位点 (couplons)上 ,LCCs因膜去极化而随机开放 ,在局部产生高强度的钙脉冲 (即钙小星 ,Ca2 sparklet) ,作用于邻近肌质网终末池上的RyRs。钙偶联位点通过由钙小星随机激活的RyRs(即钙释放通道 )以钙火花 (Ca2 spark)的形式释放钙。这些钙在全细胞水平上总和即形成钙瞬变 (Ca2 transient)。因此 ,钙小星触发钙火花就构成了ECC中的基本事件。本文重点阐述LCCs和RyRs分子间的信号转导机制 ,也即从微观水平上探讨CICR及ECC的形成机制。     

Endoplasmic reticulum maintains ion homeostasis required for plasma membrane repair

Of the many crucial functions of the ER, homeostasis of physiological calcium increase is critical for signaling. Plasma membrane (PM) injury causes a pathological calcium influx. Here, we show that the ER helps clear this surge in cytoplasmic calcium through an ER-resident calcium pump, SERCA, and a calcium-activated ion channel, Anoctamin 5 (ANO5). SERCA imports calcium into the ER, and ANO5 supports this by maintaining electroneutrality of the ER lumen through anion import. Preventing either of these transporter activities causes cytosolic calcium overload and disrupts PM repair (PMR). ANO5 deficit in limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2L (LGMD2L) patient cells compromises their cytosolic and ER calcium homeostasis. By generating a mouse model of LGMD2L, we find that PM injury causes cytosolic calcium overload and compromises the ability of ANO5-deficient myofibers to repair. Addressing calcium overload in ANO5-deficient myofibers enables them to repair, supporting the requirement of the ER in calcium homeostasis in injured cells and facilitating PMR.     

Location of Ryanodine and Dihydropyridine Receptors in Frog Myocardium

Frog myocardium depends almost entirely on calcium entry from extracellular spaces for its beat-to-beat activation. Atrial myocardium additionally shows internal calcium release under certain conditions, but internal release in the ventricle is absent or very low. We have examined the content and distribution of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release channels (ryanodine receptors, RyRs) and the surface membrane calcium channels (dihydropyridine receptors, DHPRs) in myocardium from the two atria and the ventricle of the frog heart using binding of radioactive ryanodine, immunolabeling of RyR and DHPR, and thin section and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. In cells from both types of chambers, the SR forms peripheral couplings and in both chambers peripheral couplings colocalize with clusters of DHPRs. However, although a low level of high affinity binding of ryanodine is detectable and RyRs are present in peripheral couplings of the atrium, the ventricle shows essentially no ryanodine binding and RyRs are not detectable either by electron microscopy or immunolabeling. The results are consistent with the lack of internal calcium release in the ventricle, and raise questions regarding the significance of DHPR at peripheral couplings in the absence of RyR. Interestingly, the free SR membrane in both heart chambers shows a low but equal density of intramembrane particles representing the Ca²⁺ ATPase.     

Chlorophyll Biosynthetic Reactions during Senescence of Excised Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv IB 65) Leaves

The inhibitor sensitivity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membrane (PM) calcium pumps of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) were studied by measuring the ATP-driven accumulation of 45Ca2+ into isolated membrane vesicles. Both transporters were strongly inhibited by 50 [mu]mol m-3 erythrosin B, but only by 50% in the presence of 100 mmol m-3 vanadate. A number of inhibitors considered to be specific for the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)/ER-type calcium pump in animal cells were used to further characterize the PM and ER Ca2+-ATPases in red beet and were compared with their effect on the transport and hydrolytic activities of the PM and tonoplast H+-ATPases. The hydroquinones 2,5-di(tert-butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone and 2,5-di(tert-amyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone produced around 20 and 40% inhibition of activity, respectively, of the PM and ER calcium pumps and the PM H+-ATPase when present at concentrations of 30 mmol m-3. In contrast, the vacuolar proton pump displayed a much higher sensitivity to these two compounds. Nonylphenol appeared to have a general inhibitory effect on all four membrane transport proteins and gave almost complete inhibition when present at a concentration of 100 mmol m-3. Thapsigargin and the structurally related compound trilobolide produced 50% inhibition of both the ER and PM calcium pumps at concentrations of 12.5 and 24 mmol m-3, respectively. The PM and tonoplast proton pumps were also sensitive to these compounds. The ER and PM calcium pumps were almost completely insensitive to cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) up to a concentration of 20 mmol m-3. When present at 100 mmol m-3 CPA caused 30% inhibition of the transport properties of all four ATPases. The high concentrations of all of the inhibitors of the SR/ER Ca-ATPase required to inhibit the red beet ER calcium pump, together with the similar effects on the PM calcium pump and the PM and tonoplast proton pumps, suggests that these hydrophobic compounds have a general nonselective action in red beet, possibly through disruption of membrane lipid-protein interactions.