Regulation of the ryanodine receptor calcium release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscle

In striated muscle contraction is under the tight control of myoplasmic calcium concentration (Ca2+]i): the elevation in Ca2+]i and the consequent binding of calcium to troponin C enables, while the decrease in Ca2+]i prevents the actin-myosin interaction. Calcium ions at rest are stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) from which they are rapidly released upon the depolarisation of the sarcolemmal and transverse (T-) tubular membranes of the muscle cell. The protein responsible for this controlled and fast release of calcium is the calcium release channel found in the membrane of the terminal cisternae of the SR. This review focuses on the physiological and pharmacological modulators of the calcium release channel and tries to draw an up-to-date picture of the events that occur between T-tubular depolarisation and the release of calcium from the SR.