Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release in myocytes from dyspedic mice lacking the type-1 ryanodine receptor

Preclinical model systems of ryanodine receptor 1-related myopathies and malignant hyperthermia: a comprehensive scoping review of works published 1990-2019

BACKGROUND

Pathogenic variations in the gene encoding the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR1) are associated with malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility, a life-threatening hypermetabolic condition and RYR1-related myopathies (RYR1-RM), a spectrum of rare neuromuscular disorders. In RYR1-RM, intracellular calcium dysregulation, post-translational modifications, and decreased protein expression lead to a heterogenous clinical presentation including proximal muscle weakness, contractures, scoliosis, respiratory insufficiency, and ophthalmoplegia. Preclinical model systems of RYR1-RM and MH have been developed to better understand underlying pathomechanisms and test potential therapeutics.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive scoping review of scientific literature pertaining to RYR1-RM and MH preclinical model systems in accordance with the PRISMA Scoping Reviews Checklist and the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. Two major electronic databases (PubMed and EMBASE) were searched without language restriction for articles and abstracts published between January 1, 1990 and July 3, 2019.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 5049 publications from which 262 were included in this review. A majority of variants tested in RYR1 preclinical models were localized to established MH/central core disease (MH/CCD) hot spots. A total of 250 unique RYR1 variations were reported in human/rodent/porcine models with 95% being missense substitutions. The most frequently reported RYR1 variant was R614C/R615C (human/porcine total n = 39), followed by Y523S/Y524S (rabbit/mouse total n = 30), I4898T/I4897T/I4895T (human/rabbit/mouse total n = 20), and R163C/R165C (human/mouse total n = 18). The dyspedic mouse was utilized by 47% of publications in the rodent category and its RyR1-null (1B5) myotubes were transfected in 23% of publications in the cellular model category. In studies of transfected HEK-293 cells, 57% of RYR1 variations affected the RyR1 channel and activation core domain. A total of 15 RYR1 mutant mouse strains were identified of which ten were heterozygous, three were compound heterozygous, and a further two were knockout. Porcine, avian, zebrafish, C. elegans, canine, equine, and drosophila model systems were also reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the past 30 years, there were 262 publications on MH and RYR1-RM preclinical model systems featuring more than 200 unique RYR1 variations tested in a broad range of species. Findings from these studies have set the foundation for therapeutic development for MH and RYR1-RM.

Caffeine as a tool to investigate sarcoplasmic reticulum and intracellular calcium dynamics in human skeletal muscles

Caffeine is worldwide used for its power to increase cognitive and physical performance. The ergogenic effects of caffeine, however, do not depend on a direct action on muscles. Actually, the actions of caffeine on skeletal muscles, take place at millimolar concentrations which are far above the micromolar level reached after a regular consumption of coffee or similar drinks, and close to a lethal concentration. At millimolar concentrations caffeine exerts a powerful effect on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) activating the release of calcium via ryanodine receptors and, possibly, inhibiting calcium reuptake. For this reason caffeine has become a valuable tool for studying SR function and for diagnostics of SR related muscle disorders. This review aims to briefly describe the effects and the mechanism of action of caffeine on sarcoplasmic reticulum and to focus on its use to study intracellular calcium dynamics in human muscle fibers in physiological and pathological conditions.

Homozygous/compound heterozygote RYR1 gene variants: Expanding the clinical spectrum

The ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) is a calcium release channel essential for excitation-contraction coupling in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscles. Dominant variants in the RYR1 have been well associated with the known pharmacogenetic ryanodinopathy and malignant hyperthermia. With the era of next-generation gene sequencing and growing number of causative variants, the spectrum of ryanodinopathies has been evolving with dominant and recessive variants presenting with RYR1-related congenital myopathies such as central core disease, minicore myopathy with external ophthalmoplegia, core-rod myopathy, and congenital neuromuscular disease. Lately, the spectrum was broadened to include fetal manifestations, causing a rare recessive and lethal form of fetal akinesia deformation sequence syndrome (FADS)/arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) and lethal multiple pterygium syndrome. Here we broaden the spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with homozygous/compound heterozygous RYR1 gene variants to include a wide range of manifestations from FADS through neonatal hypotonia to a 35-year-old male with AMC and PhD degree. We report five unrelated families in which three presented with FADS. One of these families was consanguineous and had three affected fetuses with FADS, one patient with neonatal hypotonia who is alive, and one individual with AMC who is 35 years old with normal intellectual development and uses a wheelchair. Muscle biopsies on these cases demonstrated a variety of histopathological abnormalities, which did not assist with the diagnostic process. Neither the affected living individuals nor the parents who are obligate heterozygotes had history of malignant hyperthermia.

Voltage sensing mechanism in skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling: coming of age or midlife crisis?

The process by which muscle fiber electrical depolarization is linked to activation of muscle contraction is known as excitation-contraction coupling (ECC). Our understanding of ECC has increased enormously since the early scientific descriptions of the phenomenon of electrical activation of muscle contraction by Galvani that date back to the end of the eighteenth century. Major advances in electrical and optical measurements, including muscle fiber voltage clamp to reveal membrane electrical properties, in conjunction with the development of electron microscopy to unveil structural details provided an elegant view of ECC in skeletal muscle during the last century. This surge of knowledge on structural and biophysical aspects of the skeletal muscle was followed by breakthroughs in biochemistry and molecular biology, which allowed for the isolation, purification, and DNA sequencing of the muscle fiber membrane calcium channel/transverse tubule (TT) membrane voltage sensor (Cav1.1) for ECC and of the muscle ryanodine receptor/sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel (RyR1), two essential players of ECC in skeletal muscle. In regard to the process of voltage sensing for controlling calcium release, numerous studies support the concept that the TT Cav1.1 channel is the voltage sensor for ECC, as well as also being a Ca2+ channel in the TT membrane. In this review, we present early and recent findings that support and define the role of Cav1.1 as a voltage sensor for ECC.

Negative regulation of cellular Ca2+ mobilization by ryanodine receptor type 3 in mouse mesenteric artery smooth muscle

Physiological functions of type 3 ryanodine receptors (RyR3) in smooth muscle (SM) tissues are not well understood, in spite of their wide expression. However, the short isoform of RyR3 is known to be a dominant-negative variant (DN-RyR3), which may negatively regulate functions of both RyR2 and full-length (FL) RyR3 by forming hetero-tetramers. Here, functional roles of RyR3 in the regulation of Ca²⁺ signaling in mesenteric artery SM cells (MASMCs) were examined using RyR3 homozygous knockout mice (RyR3^-/-). Quantitative PCR analyses suggested that the predominant RyR3 subtype in MASMs from wild-type mice (RyR3^+/+) was DN-RyR3. In single MASMCs freshly isolated from RyR3^-/-, the EC₅₀ of caffeine to induce Ca²⁺ release was lower than that in RyR3^+/+ myocytes. The amplitude and frequency of Ca²⁺ sparks and spontaneous transient outward currents in MASMCs from RyR3^-/- were all larger than those from RyR3^+/+. Importantly, mRNA and functional expressions of voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channel and large-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ (BK) channel in MASMCs from RyR3^-/- were identical to those from RyR3^+/+. However, in the presence of BK channel inhibitor, paxilline, the pressure rises induced by BayK8644 in MA vascular beds of RyR3^-/- were significantly larger than in those of RyR3^+/+. This indicates that the negative feedback effects of BK channel activity on intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling was enhanced in RyR3^-/-. Thus, RyR3, and, in fact, mainly DN-RyR3, via a complex with RyR2 suppresses Ca²⁺ release and indirectly regulated membrane potential by reducing BK channel activity in MASMCs and presumably can affect the regulation of intrinsic vascular tone.

Functional characterisation of the R2452W ryanodine receptor variant associated with malignant hyperthermia susceptibility

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disorder that manifests in susceptible individuals exposed to volatile anaesthetics. Over 400 variants in the ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) have been reported but relatively few have been definitively associated with susceptibility to MH. This is largely due to the technical challenges of demonstrating abnormal Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This study focuses on the R2452W variant and its functional characterisation with the aim of classifying this variant as MH causative. HEK293 cells were transiently transfected with full-length human wildtype or R2452W mutant RYR1 cDNA. In addition, B-lymphoblastoid cells from blood and myoblasts propagated from in vitro contracture tests were extracted from patients positive for the R2452W variant. All cell lines generated were loaded with the ratiometric dye Fura-2 AM, stimulated with the RYR1-specific agonist 4-chloro-m-cresol and Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum was monitored by fluorescence emission. All cells expressing the RYR1 R2452W variant show a significantly higher Ca(2+) release in response to the agonist, 4-chloro-m-cresol, compared to cells expressing RYR1 WT. These results indicate that the R2452W variant results in a hypersensitive ryanodine receptor 1 and suggest that the R2452W variant in the ryanodine receptor 1 is likely to be causative of MH.

Cytoplasmic nanojunctions between lysosomes and sarcoplasmic reticulum are required for specific calcium signaling

Herein we demonstrate how nanojunctions between lysosomes and sarcoplasmic reticulum (L-SR junctions) serve to couple lysosomal activation to regenerative, ryanodine receptor-mediated cellular Ca ²⁺ waves. In pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) it has been proposed that nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) triggers increases in cytoplasmic Ca ²⁺ via L-SR junctions, in a manner that requires initial Ca ²⁺ release from lysosomes and subsequent Ca ²⁺-induced Ca ²⁺ release (CICR) via ryanodine receptor (RyR) subtype 3 on the SR membrane proximal to lysosomes. L-SR junction membrane separation has been estimated to be < 400 nm and thus beyond the resolution of light microscopy, which has restricted detailed investigations of the junctional coupling process. The present study utilizes standard and tomographic transmission electron microscopy to provide a thorough ultrastructural characterization of the L-SR junctions in PASMCs. We show that L-SR nanojunctions are prominent features within these cells and estimate that the junctional membrane separation and extension are about 15 nm and 300 nm, respectively. Furthermore, we develop a quantitative model of the L-SR junction using these measurements, prior kinetic and specific Ca ²⁺ signal information as input data. Simulations of NAADP-dependent junctional Ca ²⁺ transients demonstrate that the magnitude of these signals can breach the threshold for CICR via RyR3. By correlation analysis of live cell Ca ²⁺ signals and simulated Ca ²⁺ transients within L-SR junctions, we estimate that “trigger zones” comprising 60–100 junctions are required to confer a signal of similar magnitude. This is compatible with the 110 lysosomes/cell estimated from our ultrastructural observations. Most importantly, our model shows that increasing the L-SR junctional width above 50 nm lowers the magnitude of junctional [Ca ²⁺] such that there is a failure to breach the threshold for CICR via RyR3. L-SR junctions are therefore a pre-requisite for efficient Ca ²⁺signal coupling and may contribute to cellular function in health and disease.

The role of intracellular calcium stores in synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation

Memory processing requires tightly controlled signalling cascades, many of which are dependent upon intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)). Despite this, most work investigating calcium signalling in memory formation has focused on plasma membrane channels and extracellular sources of Ca(2+). The intracellular Ca(2+) release channels, ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) have a significant capacity to regulate intracellular Ca(2+) signalling. Evidence at both cellular and behavioural levels implicates both RyRs and IP3Rs in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Pharmacobehavioural experiments using young chicks trained on a single-trial discrimination avoidance task have been particularly useful by demonstrating that RyRs and IP3Rs have distinct roles in memory formation. RyR-dependent Ca(2+) release appears to aid the consolidation of labile memory into a persistent long-term memory trace. In contrast, IP3Rs are required during long-term memory. This review discusses various functions for RyRs and IP3Rs in memory processing, including neuro- and glio-transmitter release, dendritic spine remodelling, facilitating vasodilation, and the regulation of gene transcription and dendritic excitability. Altered Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores also has significant implications for neurodegenerative conditions.

Pan-junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum in vascular smooth muscle: nanospace Ca2+ transport for site- and function-specific Ca2+ signalling

This review focuses on how smooth muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the major releasable Ca(2+) store in these cells, performs its many functions by communicating with the plasma membrane (PM) and other organelles across cytoplasmic nanospaces, defined by membrane-membrane junctions less than 50 nm across. In spite of accumulating evidence in favour of the view that cytoplasmic nanospaces are a prerequisite for effective control of diverse cellular functions, our current understanding of how smooth muscle cells accomplish site- and function-specific Ca(2+) signalling remains in its infancy. We first present evidence in support of the view that effective Ca(2+) signalling depends on the restricted diffusion of Ca(2+) within cytoplasmic nanospaces. We then develop an evidence-based model of the smooth muscle SR - the 'pan-junctional SR' model - that incorporates a network of tubules and quilts that are capable of auto-regulating their Ca(2+) content and determining junctional [Ca(2+)]i through loading and unloading at membrane-membrane nanojunctions. Thereby, we provide a novel working hypothesis in order to inform future investigation into the control of a variety of cellular functions by local Ca(2+) signals at junctional nanospaces, from contraction and energy metabolism to nuclear transcription. Based on the current literature, we discuss the molecular mechanisms whereby the SR mediates these multiple functions through the interaction of ion channels and pumps embedded in apposing membranes within inter-organellar junctions. We finally highlight the fact that although most current hypotheses are qualitatively supported by experimental data, solid quantitative simulations are seriously lacking. Considering that at physiological concentrations the number of calcium ions in a typical junctional nanospace between the PM and SR is of the order of 1, ion concentration variability plays a major role as the currency of information transfer and stochastic quantitative modelling will be required to both test and develop working hypotheses.

Allele-specific gene silencing in two mouse models of autosomal dominant skeletal myopathy

We explored the potential of mutant allele-specific gene silencing (ASGS) in providing therapeutic benefit in two established mouse models of the autosomal dominantly-inherited muscle disorders, Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) and Central Core Disease (CCD). Candidate ASGS siRNAs were designed and validated for efficacy and specificity on ryanodine receptor (RyR1) cDNA mini-constructs expressed in HEK293 cells using RT-PCR- and confocal microscopy-based assays. In vivo delivery of the most efficacious identified siRNAs into flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscles was achieved by injection/electroporation of footpads of 4–6 month old heterozygous Ryr1^Y524S/+ (YS/+) and Ryr1^I4895T/+ (IT/+) knock-in mice, established mouse models of MH with cores and CCD, respectively. Treatment of IT/+ mice resulted in a modest rescue of deficits in the maximum rate (∼38% rescue) and magnitude (∼78%) of ligand-induced Ca²⁺ release that occurred in the absence of a change in the magnitude of electrically-evoked Ca²⁺ release. Compared to the difference between the caffeine sensitivity of Ca²⁺ release in FDB fibers from YS/+ and WT mice treated with SCR siRNA (EC₅₀: 1.1 mM versus 4.4 mM, respectively), caffeine sensitivity was normalized in FDB fibers from YS/+ mice following 2 (EC₅₀: 2.8 mM) and 4 week (EC₅₀: 6.6 mM) treatment with YS allele-specific siRNA. Moreover, the temperature-dependent increase in resting Ca²⁺ observed in FDB fibers from YS/+ mice was normalized to WT levels after 2 weeks of treatment with YS allele-specific siRNA. As determined by quantitative real time PCR, the degree of functional rescue in YS/+ and IT/+ mice correlated well with the relative increase in fractional WT allele expression.

Functional SNP in the microRNA-367 binding site in the 3'UTR of the calcium channel ryanodine receptor gene 3 (RYR3) affects breast cancer risk and calcification

We have evaluated and provided evidence that the ryanodine receptor 3 gene (RYR3), which encodes a large protein that forms a calcium channel, is important for the growth, morphology, and migration of breast cancer cells. A putative binding site for microRNA-367 (miR-367) exists in the 3'UTR of RYR3, and a genetic variant, rs1044129 A→G, is present in this binding region. We confirmed that miR-367 regulates the expression of a reporter gene driven by the RYR3 3'UTR and that the regulation was affected by the RYR3 genotype. A thermodynamic model based on base pairing and the secondary structure of the RYR3 mRNA and miR-367 miRNA showed that miR-367 had a higher binding affinity for the A genotype than for the G genotype. The rs1044129 SNP was genotyped in 1,532 breast cancer cases and 1,600 healthy Chinese women. The results showed that compared with the AA genotype, G was a risk genotype for breast cancer development and was also associated with breast cancer calcification and poor survival. Thus, rs1044129 is a unique SNP that resides in a miRNA-gene regulatory loop that affects breast cancer risk, calcification, and survival.

Functional expression of transgenic 1sDHPR channels in adult mammalian skeletal muscle fibres

We investigated the effects of the overexpression of two enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged α1sDHPR variants on Ca2+ currents (ICa), charge movements (Q) and SR Ca2+ release of muscle fibres isolated from adult mice. Flexor digitorum brevis (FDB)muscles were transfected by in vivo electroporation with plasmids encoding for EGFP-α1sDHPR-wt and EGFP-α1sDHPR-T935Y (an isradipine-insensitive mutant). Two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) was used to study the subcellular localization of transgenic proteins, while ICa, Q and Ca2+ release were studied electrophysiologically and optically under voltage-clamp conditions. TPLSM images demonstrated that most of the transgenic α1sDHPR was correctly targeted to the transverse tubular system (TTS). Immunoblotting analysis of crude extracts of transfected fibres demonstrated the synthesis of bona fide transgenic EGFP-α1sDHPR-wt in quantities comparable to that of native α1sDHPR. Though expression of both transgenic variants of the alpha subunit of the dihydropyridine receptor (α1sDHPR) resulted in ∼50% increase in Q, they surprisingly had no effect on the maximal Ca2+ conductance (gCa) nor the SR Ca2+ release. Nonetheless, fibres expressing EGFP-α1sDHPR-T935Y exhibited up to 70% isradipine-insensitive ICa (ICa-ins) with a right-shifted voltage dependence compared to that in control fibres. Interestingly, Qand SRCa2+ release also displayed right-shifted voltage dependence in fibres expressing EGFP-α1sDHPR-T935Y. In contrast, the midpoints of the voltage dependence of gCa, Q and Ca2+ release were not different from those in control fibres and in fibres expressing EGFP-α1sDHPR-wt. Overall, our results suggest that transgenic α1sDHPRs are correctly trafficked and inserted in the TTS membrane, and that a substantial fraction of the mworks as conductive Ca2+ channels capable of physiologically controlling the release of Ca2+ from the SR. A plausible corollary of this work is that the expression of transgenic variants of the α1sDHPR leads to the replacement of native channels interacting with the ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1), thus demonstrating the feasibility of molecular remodelling of the triads in adult skeletal muscle fibres.

Two ryanodine receptor isoforms in nonmammalian vertebrate skeletal muscle: possible roles in excitation-contraction coupling and other processes

The ryanodine receptor (RyR) is a Ca(2+) release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum in vertebrate skeletal muscle and plays an important role in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling. Whereas mammalian skeletal muscle predominantly expresses a single RyR isoform, RyR1, skeletal muscle of many nonmammalian vertebrates expresses equal amounts of two distinct isoforms, α-RyR and β-RyR, which are homologues of mammalian RyR1 and RyR3, respectively. In this review we describe our current understanding of the functions of these two RyR isoforms in nonmammalian vertebrate skeletal muscle. The Ca(2+) release via the RyR channel can be gated by two distinct modes: depolarization-induced Ca(2+) release (DICR) and Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR). In frog muscle, α-RyR acts as the DICR channel, whereas β-RyR as the CICR channel. However, several lines of evidence suggest that CICR by β-RyR may make only a minor contribution to Ca(2+) release during E-C coupling. Comparison of frog and mammalian RyR isoforms highlights the marked differences in the patterns of Ca(2+) release mediated by RyR1 and RyR3 homologues. Interestingly, common features in the Ca(2+) release patterns are noticed between β-RyR and RyR1. We will discuss possible roles and significance of the two RyR isoforms in E-C coupling and other processes in nonmammalian vertebrate skeletal muscle.

Frog alpha- and beta-ryanodine receptors provide distinct intracellular Ca2+ signals in a myogenic cell line

Background

In frog skeletal muscle, two ryanodine receptor (RyR) isoforms, α-RyR and β-RyR, are expressed in nearly equal amounts. However, the roles and significance of the two isoforms in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling remains to be elucidated.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we expressed either or both α-RyR and β-RyR in 1B5 RyR-deficient myotubes using the herpes simplex virus 1 helper-free amplicon system. Immunological characterizations revealed that α-RyR and β-RyR are appropriately expressed and targeted at the junctions in 1B5 myotubes. In Ca²⁺ imaging studies, each isoform exhibited caffeine-induced Ca²⁺ transients, an indicative of Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release (CICR). However, the fashion of Ca²⁺ release events was fundamentally different: α-RyR mediated graded and sustained Ca²⁺ release observed uniformly throughout the cytoplasm, whereas β-RyR supported all-or-none type regenerative Ca²⁺ oscillations and waves. α-RyR but not β-RyR exhibited Ca²⁺ transients triggered by membrane depolarization with high [K⁺]_o that were nifedipine-sensitive, indicating that only α-RyR mediates depolarization-induced Ca²⁺ release. Myotubes co-expressing α-RyR and β-RyR demonstrated high [K⁺]_o-induced Ca²⁺ transients which were indistinguishable from those with myotubes expressing α-RyR alone. Furthermore, procaine did not affect the peak height of high [K⁺]_o-induced Ca²⁺ transients, suggesting minor amplification of Ca²⁺ release by β-RyR via CICR in 1B5 myotubes.

Conclusions/Significance

These findings suggest that α-RyR and β-RyR provide distinct intracellular Ca²⁺ signals in a myogenic cell line. These distinct properties may also occur in frog skeletal muscle and will be important for E-C coupling.

Ryanodine receptor studies using genetically engineered mice

Ryanodine receptors (RyR) regulate intracellular Ca(2+) release in many cell types and have been implicated in a number of inherited human diseases. Over the past 15 years genetically engineered mouse models have been developed to elucidate the role that RyRs play in physiology and pathophysiology. To date these models have implicated RyRs in fundamental biological processes including excitation-contraction coupling and long term plasticity as well as diseases including malignant hyperthermia, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, and seizures. In this review we summarize the RyR mouse models and how they have enhanced our understanding of the RyR channels and their roles in cellular physiology and disease.

Molecular characterization of flubendiamide sensitivity in the lepidopterous ryanodine receptor Ca(2+) release channel

Flubendiamide is a benzenedicarboxamide derivative that shows selective insecticidal activity against lepidopterous insects. The specific modulatory effects of flubendiamide on ryanodine binding in insect muscle microsomal membranes suggest that the ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca(2+) release channel is a primary target of flubendiamide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the species-specific action of flubendiamide are unclear. We have cloned cDNA encoding a novel RyR from the lepidopterous silkworm RyR (sRyR) and tested the sensitivity to flubendiamide of the recombinant sRyR in HEK293 cells. Confocal localization studies and Ca(2+) imaging techniques revealed that sRyRs form Ca(2+) release channels in the endoplasmic reticulum. Importantly, flubendiamide induced release of Ca(2+) through the sRyR, but not through the rabbit RyR isoforms. Photoaffinity labeling of sRyR deletion mutants using a photoreactive derivative revealed that flubendiamide is mainly incorporated into the transmembrane domain (amino acids 4111-5084) of the sRyR. The rabbit cardiac muscle isoform RyR2 (rRyR2) and the RyR mutant carrying a replacement of the transmembrane domain (residues 4084-5084) with its counterpart sequence from rRyR2 (residues 3936-4968) were not labeled by the photoreactive compound. This replacement in the sRyR significantly impaired the responses to flubendiamide but only marginally reduced the sensitivity to caffeine, a general RyR activator. Furthermore, deletion of the N-terminal sequence (residues 183-290) abolished the responses of the sRyR to flubendiamide but not the sensitivity to caffeine. Our results suggest that the transmembrane domain plays an important role in the formation of an action site for flubendiamide, while the N-terminus is a structural requirement for flubendiamide-induced activation of the sRyR.

[Molecular architecture of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and its role in the ECC]

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays a fundamental role in excitation-contraction coupling, which propagates the electric signal conversion along the muscle fiber's plasmic membrane to a mechanical event manifested as a muscle contraction. It plays a crucial role in calcium homeostasis and intracellular calcium storage control (storage, liberation and uptake) necessary for fiber muscle contraction and then relaxation. These functions take place at the triad, made up of individualized SR subdomains where the protein-specific organization provides efficient and fast coupling. Ryanodine receptors (RyR) and dihydropyridine receptors (DHPR) mainly act in calcium exchanges in the SR. This particular structural and molecular architecture must be correlated to its functional specificity.

A gene-specific cerebral types 1, 2, and 3 RyR protein knockdown induces an antidepressant-like effect in mice

Elevation of baseline intracellular calcium levels was observed in platelets or lymphoblasts of patients with bipolar affective disorders suggesting an altered intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. The role of supraspinal endoplasmic ryanodine receptors (RyRs), which allow mobilization of intracellular Ca(2+) stores, in the modulation of depressive states was, then, investigated. Ryanodine and FK506 reduced the immobility time in the mouse forced swimming test showing an antidepressant-like profile comparable with that produced by amitriptyline and clomipramine. We generated types 1, 2, and 3 RyR knockdown mice by using selective antisense oligonucleotides (aODN) to investigate the role of each RyR isoform. A gene-specific cerebral RyR protein level reduction in knockdown animals was demonstrated by immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, and immunohistochemical experiments. Repeated intracerebroventricular administration of aODNs complementary to the sequence of the types 1, 2, or 3 RyR produced an antidepressant-like response in the forced swimming test. The aODN-induced reduction of immobility time was temporary and reversible and did not impair motor coordination, spontaneous mobility, and exploratory activity. These findings identify cerebral RyRs as critical targets underlying depressive states and should facilitate the comprehension of the pathophysiology of mood disorders and help developing of new therapeutical strategies.

Different involvement of type 1, 2, and 3 ryanodine receptors in memory processes

The administration of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) agonist 4-Cmc (0.003-9 nmol per mouse intracerebroventricularly [i.c.v.]) ameliorated memory functions, whereas the RyR antagonist ryanodine (0.0001-1 nmol per mouse i.c.v.) induced amnesia in the mouse passive avoidance test. The role of the type 1, 2, and 3 RyR isoforms in memory processes was then evaluated by inhibiting the expression of the three RyR proteins in the mouse brain. A selective knockdown of the RyR isoforms was obtained by the i.c.v. administration of antisense oligonucleotides (aODNs) complementary to the sequence of RyR1, RyR2 and RyR3 proteins, as demonstrated by immunoblotting experiments. RyR1 (5-9 nmol per mouse i.c.v.) knockdown mice did not show any memory dysfunction. Conversely, RyR2 (1-7 nmol per mouse i.c.v.) and RyR3 (1-7 nmol per mouse i.c.v.) knockdown animals showed an impairment of memory processes. This detrimental effect was temporary and reversible, disappearing 7 d after the end of the aODN treatment. At the highest effective doses, none of the compounds used impaired motor coordination, as revealed by the rota rod test, nor modified spontaneous mobility and inspection activity, as revealed by the hole-board test. In conclusion, the lack of any involvement of cerebral RyR1 was demonstrated. These findings also showed the involvement of type 2 and type 3 RyR in the modulation of memory functions identifying these cerebral RyR isoforms as critical targets underlying memory processes.

Type 1 and type 3 ryanodine receptors are selectively involved in muscarinic antinociception in mice: an antisense study

The importance of an intracellular calcium content increase to obtain cholinergic antinociception was demonstrated. The physiological and pathological role of ryanodine receptors (RyRs), receptors involved in the mobilization of intracellular calcium stores, at the CNS level is poorly understood. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the role of supraspinal endoplasmic type 1, 2 and 3 RyR subtypes in muscarinic antinociception in conditions of acute thermal (hotplate test) and inflammatory (abdominal constriction test) pain. In the absence of isoform selective RyR antagonists, types 1, 2 and 3 RyR knockdown mice were obtained. Western blotting experiments were performed to quantify the RyR isoform protein levels in knockdown mice demonstrating a selective protein level reduction in knockdown animals. I.c.v. pretreatment with an antisense oligonucleotide (aODN) against type 1 or type 3 RyR prevented cholinergic antinociception in the hotplate test shifting to the right of the physostigmine dose-response curve. This antagonistic effect disappeared 7 days after the end of the aODN administration. Conversely, the physostigmine analgesia remained unmodified in type 2 RyR knockdown mice. Similar results were obtained in the abdominal constriction test. Mice undergoing aODN treatments showed neither alteration of animals' gross behavior nor locomotor impairment (rota-rod and hole board tests). These results elucidate the intracellular mechanism underlying muscarinic antinociception. A selective involvement of RyR1 and RyR3 in supraspinal muscarinic analgesia was demonstrated whereas RyR2 appears not to play an essential role in acute thermal and inflammatory pain.

Neural agrin controls maturation of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism in human myotubes developing in vitro

The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the effects of innervation on the maturation of excitation-contraction coupling apparatus in human skeletal muscle. For this purpose, we compared the establishment of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism in myotubes differentiated in four different experimental paradigms: 1) aneurally cultured, 2) cocultured with fetal rat spinal cord explants, 3) aneurally cultured in medium conditioned by cocultures, and 4) aneurally cultured in medium supplemented with purified recombinant chick neural agrin. Ca2+ imaging indicated that coculturing human muscle cells with rat spinal cord explants increased the fraction of cells showing a functional excitation-contraction coupling mechanism. The effect of spinal cord explants was mimicked by treatment with medium conditioned by cocultures or by addition of 1 nM of recombinant neural agrin to the medium. The treatment with neural agrin increased the number of human muscle cells in which functional ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channels were detectable. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that agrin, released from neurons, controls the maturation of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism and that this effect is due to modulation of both RyRs and L-type Ca2+ channels. Thus, a novel role for neural agrin in skeletal muscle maturation is proposed.

Bidirectional signaling between calcium channels of skeletal muscle requires multiple direct and indirect interactions

We have defined regions of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR1) essential for bidirectional signaling with dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) and for the organization of DHPR into tetrad arrays by expressing RyR1-RyR3 chimerae in dyspedic myotubes. RyR1-RyR3 constructs bearing RyR1 residues 1-1681 restored wild-type DHPR tetrad arrays and, in part, skeletal-type excitation-contraction (EC) coupling (orthograde signaling) but failed to enhance DHPR Ca(2+) currents (retrograde signaling) to WT RyR1 levels. Within this region, the D2 domain (amino acids 1272-1455), although ineffective on its own, dramatically enhanced the formation of tetrads and EC coupling rescue by constructs that otherwise are only partially effective. These findings suggest that the orthograde signal and DHPR tetrad formation require the contributions of numerous RyR regions. Surprisingly, we found that RyR3, although incapable of supporting EC coupling or tetrad formation, restored a significant level of Ca(2+) current, revealing a functional interaction with the skeletal muscle DHPR. Thus, our data support the hypotheses that (i) the structural/functional link between RyR1 and the skeletal muscle DHPR requires multiple interacting regions, (ii) the D2 domain of RyR1 plays a key role in stabilizing this interaction, and (iii) a form of retrograde signaling from RyR3 to the DHPR occurs in the absence of direct protein-protein interactions.

Pyridine nucleotides and calcium signalling in arterial smooth muscle: from cell physiology to pharmacology

It is generally accepted that the mobilisation of intracellular Ca2+ stores plays a pivotal role in the regulation of arterial smooth muscle function, paradoxically during both contraction and relaxation. However, the spatiotemporal pattern of different Ca2+ signals that elicit such responses may also contribute to the regulation of, for example, differential gene expression. These findings, among others, demonstrate the importance of discrete spatiotemporal Ca2+ signalling patterns and the mechanisms that underpin them. Of fundamental importance in this respect is the realisation that different Ca2+ storing organelles may be selected by the discrete or coordinated actions of multiple Ca2+ mobilising messengers. When considering such messengers, it is generally accepted that sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) stores may be mobilised by the ubiquitous messenger inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the role of Ca2+ mobilising pyridine nucleotides in arterial smooth muscle, namely, cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose (cADPR) and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP). This review will therefore focus on these novel mechanisms of calcium signalling and their likely therapeutic potential.

Abnormal ryanodine receptor function in heart failure

The abnormally regulated release of Ca2+ from an intracellular Ca2+ store, the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), is the mechanism underlying contractile and relaxation dysfunctions in heart failure (HF). According to recent reports, protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated hyperphosphorylation of ryanodine receptor (RyR) in the SR has been shown to cause the dissociation of FK506 binding protein (FKBP) 12.6 from the RyR in heart failure. This causes an abnormal Ca2+ leak through the Ca2+ channel located in the RyR, leading to an increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ during diastole, prolongation of the Ca2+ transient, and delayed/slowed diastolic Ca2+ re-uptake. More recently, a considerable number of disease-linked mutations in the RyR have been reported in patients with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) or arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia type 2. An analysis of the disposition of these mutation sites within well-defined domains of the RyR polypeptide chain has led to the new concept that interdomain interactions among these domains play a critical role in channel regulation, and an altered domain interaction causes channel dysfunction in the failing heart. The knowledge gained from the recent literature concerning the critical proteins and the changes in their properties under pathological conditions has brought us to a better position to develop new pharmacological or genetic strategies for the treatment of heart failure or cardiac arrhythmia. A considerable body of evidence reviewed here indicates that abnormal RyR function plays an important role in the pathogenesis of heart failure. This review also covers some controversial issues in the literature concerning the involvement of phosphorylation and FKBP12.6.

Altered intracellular Ca2+ handling in heart failure

Structural and functional alterations in the Ca2+ regulatory proteins present in the sarcoplasmic reticulum have recently been shown to be strongly involved in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system or of the renin-angiotensin system induces abnormalities in both the function and structure of these proteins. We review here the considerable body of evidence that has accumulated to support the notion that such abnormalities contribute to a defectiveness of contractile performance and hence to the progression of heart failure.

Ryanodine receptor defects in muscle genetic diseases

Ryanodine receptor (RyR), a homotetrameric Ca2+ release channel, is one of the main actors in the generation of Ca2+ signals that trigger muscle contraction. Three genes encode three isoforms of RyRs, which have tissue-restricted distribution. RyR1 and RyR2 are typical of muscle cells, with RyR1 originally considered the skeletal muscle type and RyR2 the cardiac type. However, RyR1 and RyR2 have recently been found in numerous other cell types, including, for instance, peripheral B and T lymphocytes. In contrast, RyR3 is widely distributed among cells. RyR1 and RyR2 are localized in a specialized portion of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the terminal cisternae, which is the portion of the SR Ca2+ store that releases Ca2+ to control the process of muscle contraction. A specific role for RyR3 has not yet been established: probably, its co-expression with the other RyR isoforms contributes to qualitatively modulate Ca2+-dependent processes in muscle cells and in neurons. Several mutations in the genes encoding RyR1 and RyR2 have been identified in autosomal dominant diseases of skeletal and cardiac muscle, such as malignant hyperthermia (MH), central core disease (CCD), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia type 2 (ARVD2). More recently, CCD cases with recessive inheritance have also been described. MH is a pharmacogenetic disease, but the others manifest as congenital myopathies. Even if their clinical phenotypes are well established, particularly in skeletal muscle, the molecular mechanisms that generate the conditions are not clear. A number of studies on cellular models have attempted to elucidate the molecular defects associated with the different mutations, but the problem of understanding how mutations in the same gene generate such an array of diverse pathological traits and diseases of widely different degrees of severity is still open. This review will consider the molecular and cellular effects of RyR mutations, summarizing recent data in the literature on Ca2+ dysregulation, which may lead to a better understanding of the functioning of RyRs.

Ca2+-dependent excitation-contraction coupling triggered by the heterologous cardiac/brain DHPR beta2a-subunit in skeletal myotubes

Molecular determinants essential for skeletal-type excitation-contraction (EC) coupling have been described in the cytosolic loops of the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) alpha1S pore subunit and in the carboxyl terminus of the skeletal-specific DHPR beta1a-subunit. It is unknown whether EC coupling domains present in the beta-subunit influence those present in the pore subunit or if they act independent of each other. To address this question, we investigated the EC coupling signal that is generated when the endogenous DHPR pore subunit alpha1S is paired with the heterologous heart/brain DHPR beta2a-subunit. Studies were conducted in primary cultured myotubes from beta1 knockout (KO), ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1) KO, ryanodine receptor type 3 (RyR3) KO, and double RyR1/RyR3 KO mice under voltage clamp with simultaneous monitoring of confocal fluo-4 fluorescence. The beta2a-mediated Ca2+ current recovered in beta1 KO myotubes lacking the endogenous DHPR beta1a-subunit verified formation of the alpha1S/beta1a pair. In myotube genotypes which express no or low-density L-type Ca2+ currents, namely beta1 KO and RyR1 KO, beta2a overexpression recovered a wild-type density of nifedipine-sensitive Ca2+ currents with a slow activation kinetics typical of skeletal myotubes. Concurrent with Ca2+ current recovery, there was a drastic reduction of voltage-dependent, skeletal-type EC coupling and emergence of Ca2+ transients triggered by the Ca2+ current. A comparison of beta2a overexpression in RyR3 KO, RyR1 KO, and double RyR1/RyR3 KO myotubes concluded that both RyR1 and RyR3 isoforms participated in Ca2+-dependent Ca2+ release triggered by the beta2a-subunit. In beta1 KO and RyR1 KO myotubes, the Ca2+-dependent EC coupling promoted by beta2a overexpression had the following characteristics: 1), L-type Ca2+ currents had a wild-type density; 2), Ca2+ transients activated much slower than controls overexpressing beta1a, and the rate of fluorescence increase was consistent with the activation kinetics of the Ca2+ current; 3), the voltage dependence of the Ca2+ transient was bell-shaped and the maximum was centered at approximately +30 mV, consistent with the voltage dependence of the Ca2+ current; and 4), Ca2+ currents and Ca2+ transients were fully blocked by nifedipine. The loss in voltage-dependent EC coupling promoted by beta2a was inferred by the drastic reduction in maximal Ca2+ fluorescence at large positive potentials (DeltaF/Fmax) in double dysgenic/beta1 KO myotubes overexpressing the pore mutant alpha1S (E1014K) and beta2a. The data indicate that beta2a, upon interaction with the skeletal pore subunit alpha1S, overrides critical EC coupling determinants present in alpha1S. We propose that the alpha1S/beta pair, and not the alpha1S-subunit alone, controls the EC coupling signal in skeletal muscle.

Coexpression of junctophilin type 3 and type 4 in brain

Recent studies indicated that junctophilins (JPs) contribute to the formation of junctional membrane structures in excitable cells by interacting with the plasma membrane and spanning the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR) membrane. In the brain, functional crosstalk between cell-surface and intracellular channels is proposed in the "subsurface cistern" as the junctional membrane complex observed in neurons. So far, three JPs have been identified as tissue-specific subtypes derived from different genes; JP-1 is specifically expressed in skeletal muscle, JP-2 is detected throughout muscle cell types, and JP-3 is predominantly expressed in the brain. In this paper, we report a novel JP subtype, JP-4, encoded in the human (chromosome 14q11.1) and mouse (chromosome 14C1-2) genomes. Cloning the cDNA showed that JP-4 shares characteristic structural features with other JP subtypes, and Northern and Western blot analyses demonstrated its brain-specific expression. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that both JP-3 and JP-4 mRNAs are expressed in discrete neuronal sites, and their overall regional distribution patterns were similar in the brain. Furthermore, both the JP mRNAs and subsurface cistern showed somatodendritic localization in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. The results obtained suggest the collaborative contribution of JP-3 and JP-4 to the subsurface cistern formation in neurons.

RyR1 exhibits lower gain of CICR activity than RyR3 in the SR: evidence for selective stabilization of RyR1 channel

We showed that frog alpha-ryanodine receptor (alpha-RyR) had a lower gain of Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) activity than beta-RyR in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles, indicating selective "stabilization" of the former isoform (Murayama T and Ogawa Y. J Biol Chem 276: 2953-2960, 2001). To know whether this is also the case with mammalian RyR1, we determined [(3)H]ryanodine binding of RyR1 and RyR3 in bovine diaphragm SR vesicles. The value of [(3)H]ryanodine binding (B) was normalized by the number of maximal binding sites (B(max)), whereby the specific activity of each isoform was expressed. This B/B(max) expression demonstrated that ryanodine binding of individual channels for RyR1 was <15% that for RyR3. Responses to Ca(2+), Mg(2+), adenine nucleotides, and caffeine were not substantially different between in situ and purified isoforms. These results suggest that the gain of CICR activity of RyR1 is markedly lower than that of RyR3 in mammalian skeletal muscle, indicating selective stabilization of RyR1 as is true of frog alpha-RyR. The stabilization was partly eliminated by FK506 and partly by solubilization of the vesicles with CHAPS, each of which was additive to the other. In contrast, high salt, which greatly enhances [(3)H]ryanodine binding, caused only a minor effect on the stabilization of RyR1. None of the T-tubule components, coexisting RyR3, or calmodulin was the cause. The CHAPS-sensitive intra- and intermolecular interactions that are common between mammalian and frog skeletal muscles and the isoform-specific inhibition by FKBP12, which is characteristic of mammals, are likely to be the underlying mechanisms.

Identification and functional reconstitution of yeast mitochondrial carrier for S-adenosylmethionine

The genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains 35 members of the mitochondrial carrier protein family, most of which have not yet been functionally identified. Here the identification of the mitochondrial carrier for S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) Sam5p is described. The corresponding gene has been overexpressed in bacteria and the protein has been reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles and identified by its transport properties. In confirmation of its identity, (i) the Sam5p-GFP protein was found to be targeted to mitochondria; (ii) the cells lacking the gene for this carrier showed auxotrophy for biotin (which is synthesized in the mitochondria by the SAM-requiring Bio2p) on fermentable carbon sources and a petite phenotype on non-fermentable substrates; and (iii) both phenotypes of the knock-out mutant were overcome by expressing the cytosolic SAM synthetase (Sam1p) inside the mitochondria.

The pore region of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor is a primary locus for excitation-contraction uncoupling in central core disease

Human central core disease (CCD) is caused by mutations/deletions in the gene that encodes the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR1). Previous studies have shown that CCD mutations in the NH2-terminal region of RyR1 lead to the formation of leaky SR Ca2+ release channels when expressed in myotubes derived from RyR1-knockout (dyspedic) mice, whereas a COOH-terminal mutant (I4897T) results in channels that are not leaky to Ca2+ but lack depolarization-induced Ca2+ release (termed excitation-contraction [EC] uncoupling). We show here that store depletion resulting from NH2-terminal (Y523S) and COOH-terminal (Y4795C) leaky CCD mutant release channels is eliminated after incorporation of the I4897T mutation into the channel (Y523S/I4897T and Y4795C/I4897T). In spite of normal SR Ca2+ content, myotubes expressing the double mutants lacked voltage-gated Ca2+ release and thus exhibited an EC uncoupling phenotype similar to that of I4897T-expressing myotubes. We also show that dyspedic myotubes expressing each of seven recently identified CCD mutations located in exon 102 of the RyR1 gene (G4890R, R4892W, I4897T, G4898E, G4898R, A4905V, R4913G) behave as EC-uncoupled release channels. Interestingly, voltage-gated Ca2+ release was nearly abolished (reduced approximately 90%) while caffeine-induced Ca2+ release was only marginally reduced in R4892W-expressing myotubes, indicating that this mutation preferentially disrupts voltage-sensor activation of release. These data demonstrate that CCD mutations in exon 102 disrupt release channel permeation to Ca2+ during EC coupling and that this region represents a primary molecular locus for EC uncoupling in CCD.

Ryanodine receptor and junctional membrane structure

In excitable cell types, activation of cell-surface Ca(2+) channels triggers Ca(2+) release from the endplasmic or sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR). This Ca(2+) signal amplification, termed Ca(2+)-induced or voltage-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR/VICR), requires the ryanodine receptor as an intracellular Ca(2+) channel, which is predominantly localized in the junctional membrane complex between the plasma membrane and the ER/SR. Junctophilin is an ER/SR membrane protein that contributes to the formation of the junctional membrane structure. Ryanodine receptor and junctophilin subtypes are derived from distinct genes and show different tissue-specific expression. Recent gene-knockout studies have defined physiological functions of both Ca(2+) release via ryanodine receptors and junctional membrane structures constituted by junctophilins in excitable cells. Moreover, several human genetic diseases are caused by mutations at the ryanodine receptor and junctophilin subtype genes.

Presence and functional significance of presynaptic ryanodine receptors

Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) mediated by sarcoplasmic reticulum resident ryanodine receptors (RyRs) has been well described in cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle. In brain, RyRs are localised primarily to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and have been demonstrated in postsynaptic entities, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes where they regulate intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), membrane potential and the activity of a variety of second messenger systems. Recently, the contribution of presynaptic RyRs and CICR to functions of central and peripheral presynaptic terminals, including neurotransmitter release, has received increased attention. However, there is no general agreement that RyRs are localised to presynaptic terminals, nor is it clear that RyRs regulate a large enough pool of intracellular Ca(2+) to be physiologically significant. Here, we review direct and indirect evidence that on balance favours the notion that ER and RyRs are found in presynaptic terminals and are physiologically significant. In so doing, it became obvious that some of the controversy originates from issues related to (i) the ability to demonstrate conclusively the physical presence of ER and RyRs, (ii) whether the biophysical properties of RyRs are such that they can contribute physiologically to regulation of presynaptic [Ca(2+)](i), (iii) how ER Ca(2+) load and feedback gain of CICR contributes to the ability to detect functionally relevant RyRs, (iv) the distance that Ca(2+) diffuses from plasma membranes to RyRs to trigger CICR and from RyRs to the Active Zone to enhance vesicle release, and (v) the experimental conditions used. The recognition that ER Ca(2+) stores are able to modulate local Ca(2+) levels and neurotransmitter release in presynaptic terminals will aid in the understanding of the cellular mechanisms controlling neuronal function.

Smooth muscle tissues express a major dominant negative splice variant of the type 3 Ca2+ release channel (ryanodine receptor)

It is well known that the type 3 Ca(2+) release channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR3) exhibits strikingly different pharmacological and functional properties depending on the tissues in which it resides. To investigate the molecular basis for this tissue-dependent heterogeneity, we examined the primary structure of RyR3 from various tissues by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequence analysis. As many as seven alternatively spliced variants of RyR3 were detected. Ribonuclease protection assays revealed that one of these splice variants, RyR3 (AS-8a), which lacks a 29-amino acid fragment (His(4406)-Lys(4434)) encompassing a predicted transmembrane helix, was highly expressed in smooth muscle tissues, but not in skeletal muscle, the heart, or the brain. Although the RyR3 (AS-8a) splice variant did not form a functional Ca(2+) release channel when expressed alone in HEK293 cells, it was able to form functional heteromeric channels with reduced caffeine sensitivity when co-expressed with the wild type RyR3. Interestingly, this RyR3 splice variant was also able to form heteromeric channels with and suppress the activity of the type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2). Tissue-specific expression of RyR3 splice variants is therefore likely to account for some of the pharmacological and functional heterogeneities of RyR3. These observations also reveal a novel mechanism by which a splice variant of one RyR isoform (RyR3) can suppress the activity of another RyR isoform (RyR2) via a dominant negative effect.

Molecular genetics of ryanodine receptors Ca2+-release channels

The family of ryanodine receptor (RyR) genes encodes three highly related Ca(2+)-release channels: RyR1, RyR2 and RyR3. RyRs are known as the Ca(2+)-release channels that participate to the mechanism of excitation-contraction coupling in striated muscles, but they are also expressed in many other cell types. Actually, in several cells two or three RyR isoforms can be co-expressed and interactive feedbacks among them may be important for generation of intracellular Ca(2+) signals and regulation of specific cellular functions. Important developments have been obtained in understanding the biochemical complexity underlying the process of Ca(2+) release through RyRs. The 3-D structure of these large molecules has been obtained and some regulatory regions have been mapped within these 3-D reconstructions. Recent studies have clarified the role of protein kinases and phosphatases that, by physically interacting with RyRs, appear to play a role in the regulation of these Ca(2+)-release channels. These and other recent advancements in understanding RyR biology will be the object of this review.

Ryanodine receptor calcium release channels

The ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are a family of Ca2+ release channels found on intracellular Ca2+ storage/release organelles. The RyR channels are ubiquitously expressed in many types of cells and participate in a variety of important Ca2+ signaling phenomena (neurotransmission, secretion, etc.). In striated muscle, the RyR channels represent the primary pathway for Ca2+ release during the excitation-contraction coupling process. In general, the signals that activate the RyR channels are known (e.g., sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx or depolarization), but the specific mechanisms involved are still being debated. The signals that modulate and/or turn off the RyR channels remain ambiguous and the mechanisms involved unclear. Over the last decade, studies of RyR-mediated Ca2+ release have taken many forms and have steadily advanced our knowledge. This robust field, however, is not without controversial ideas and contradictory results. Controversies surrounding the complex Ca2+ regulation of single RyR channels receive particular attention here. In addition, a large body of information is synthesized into a focused perspective of single RyR channel function. The present status of the single RyR channel field and its likely future directions are also discussed.

Roles of two ryanodine receptor isoforms coexisting in skeletal muscle

Ryanodine receptor (RyR) is a Ca(2)(+) release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and plays an important role in excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle. The Ca(2)(+) release through the RyR channel can be gated by two distinct modes: depolarization-induced Ca(2)(+) release (DICR) and Ca(2)(+)-induced Ca(2)(+) release (CICR). Two different RyR isoforms, RyR1 (or alpha-RyR) and RyR3 (or beta-RyR), have been found to be expressed in skeletal muscle. Most adult mammalian muscles express primarily RyR1, whereas almost equal amounts of the two RyR isoforms exist in many nonmammalian vertebrate muscles. RyR1 is believed to be responsible for both DICR and CICR, whereas RyR3 may function as the CICR channel. Recent findings demonstrate that alpha-RyR is selectively and markedly suppressed in CICR activity in frog skeletal muscle. This selective suppression of RyR1, although to a lesser extent, also was found to occur in mammalian skeletal muscle. This short review describes the biological meanings of this selective suppression and discusses physiological roles and significance of the two RyR isoforms in vertebrate skeletal muscle.

Neurosecretion competence. A comprehensive gene expression program identified in PC12 cells

The phenotype of neurosecretory cells is characterized by clear vesicles and dense granules, both discharged by regulated exocytosis. However, these organelles are lacking completely in a few neurosecretion-incompetent clones of the pheochromocytoma PC12 line, in which other specific features are maintained (incompetent clones). In view of the heterogeneity of PC12 cells, a differential characterization of the incompetent phenotype based on the comparison of a single incompetent and a single wild-type clone would have been inconclusive. Therefore, we have compared two pairs of PC12 clones, studying in parallel the transcript levels of 4,200 genes and 19,000 express sequence tags (ESTs) by high density oligonucleotide arrays. After accurate data processing for quality control and filtration, a total of 755 transcripts, corresponding to 448 genes and 307 ESTs, was found consistently changed, with 46% up-regulated and 54% down-regulated in incompetent versus wild-type clones. Many but not all neurosecretion genes were profoundly down-regulated in incompetent cells. Expression of endocytosis genes was normal, whereas that of many nuclear and transcription factors, including some previously shown to play key roles in neurogenesis, was profoundly changed. Additional differences appeared in genes involved in signaling and metabolism. Taken together these results demonstrate for the first time that expression of neurosecretory vesicles and granules is part of a complex gene expression program that includes many other features that so far have not been recognized.

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.

Motor discoordination in mutant mice lacking junctophilin type 3

Junctional complexes between the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), often called "subsurface cisternae" or "peripheral coupling," are shared by excitable cells. These junctional membranes probably provide structural foundation for functional crosstalk between cell-surface and intracellular ionic channels. Our current studies have indicated that junctophilins (JPs) take part in the formation of junctional membrane complexes by spanning the ER membrane and interacting with the plasma membrane. Of the JP subtypes defined, JP type 3 (JP-3) is specifically expressed in neurons in the brain. It has been currently reported that triplet repeat expansions in the JP-3 gene are associated with Huntington's disease-like symptoms including motor disorder in human. To survey the physiological role of JP-3, we generated the knockout mice. The JP-3-knockout mice grew and reproduced normally, and we did not observe any morphological abnormality in the mutant brain. In the behavioral study, the mutant mice showed impaired performance specifically in balance/motor coordination tasks. Although obvious defects could not be observed in excitatory transmission among cerebellar neurons from the mutant mice, the data indicate that JP-3 plays an active role in certain neurons involved in motor coordination.

Intracellular calcium regulation in inner hair cells from neonatal mice

The mechanisms that regulate the concentration of ionized intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)(i)) in the base of neonatal mouse inner hair cells, close to synaptic sites, were investigated using confocal microscopy combined with conventional patch-clamp electrophysiology. Cells were depolarized under whole-cell voltage clamp to load the cell with C a(2+) through voltage-activated Ca(2+) channels. Repeated depolarizations produced Ca(2+)(i) increases with similar amplitudes and time-courses of recovery. The rate of recovery from depolarization-induced Ca(2+)(i) loads was used to assess the mechanisms responsible for Ca(2+)(i) regulation. Removal of extracellular sodium had no effect on resting Ca(2+)(i) or the rate of recovery of Ca(2+)(i) suggesting no role for Na:Ca exchange in these cells. Inhibitors of intracellular store uptake such as thapsigargin, 2,5-di(tert-butyl)hydroquinone (BHQ) and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) caused an increase in resting Ca(2+)(i) and slowed the rate of recovery, indicating that Ca(2+) can be taken up intracellularly. However, 5mM caffeine failed to cause a detectable release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores. FCCP, a mitochondrial inhibitor, slowed the rate of recovery from Ca(2+)(i) loads, indicating a role for mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake. The largest effects were seen with intracellular vanadate (1mM) which caused an irreversible rise in resting Ca(2+)(i) and depolarization-induced increases in Ca(2+)(i) failed to recover fully. Together, these data indicate that both thapsigargin-sensitive stores and mitochondria can take up Ca(2+)(i), but that Ca(2+) efflux from the cell occurs solely via a plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase.

Store-operated Ca2+ entry uncoupled with ryanodine receptor and junctional membrane complex in heart muscle cells

Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is the Ca2+ influx that is activated on depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Although SOCE is found in a variety of cell types, its activation mechanism and molecular identity remain to be clarified. Current experimental results suggest that SOCE channels are activated by direct coupling with Ca2+ release channels on depleted stores. Here we report SOCE in cardiac myocytes, that was prominently sensitive to Zn2+ but resistant to inhibitors for voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels and Na+/Ca2+ exchangers. The SOCE activity may be developmentally regulated, because the SOCE was easily detected during embryonic and neonatal stages but not in mature myocytes from adult hearts. In cardiac myocytes, ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR-2) is thought to be the sole Ca2+ release channel on the intracellular store, and junctophilin type 2 (JP-2) contributes to formation of the junctional complex between the cell surface and store membranes. Using the knockout mice, we also examined possible involvement of the Ca2+ release channel and junctional membrane complex in cardiac SOCE. Apparently normal SOCE activities were retained in mutant myocytes lacking RyR-2 or JP-2, suggesting that neither the Ca2+ release channel nor junctional membrane complex is involved in activation of cardiac SOCE.

Developmental expression of the calcium release channels during early neurogenesis of the mouse cerebral cortex

The developmental changes of intracellular calcium release channels of mouse neocortex were studied at the onset of neurogenesis, which occurs between embryonic days E11 and E17. The three main isoforms of the two families of intracellular calcium release channels, namely the inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3R) and the ryanodine receptors (RyR), were detected by their transcripts in the cerebral hemispheres, as early as stage E11. The major isoforms of each family, IP3R-1 and RyR-2, were found at the protein level by Western blot analysis. Expression of these proteins increases progressively throughout brain development. Their localization in coronal sections of cortex has been observed by immunodetection from E12, and compared to the TuJ1 (anti-class III beta-tubulin antibody) neuronal specific labelling. The expression of both channels is greatly enhanced after E12, and both were seen to be present in most of the proliferative and neuronal cells of the slice. Between E12 and E13, there is a striking transition in the pattern of calcium release elicited by specific agonists of these channels, thimerosal for IP3R and caffeine for RyR. The signals induced by thimerosal were not zone-specific, while the observed calcium release signals induced by caffeine were predominantly restricted out of the ventricular zone. This zone-specific caffeine sensitivity is consistent with the main RyR localization immunodetected at E13. Our results indicate that there is a time lag of several days between the molecular detection of calcium release channels and their functional expression, around the time of neuronal differentiation. Altogether, they provide a molecular basis for analyzing the developmental modulation of calcium signals useful for neurogenesis progression.

Molecular basis of Ca(2)+ activation of the mouse cardiac Ca(2)+ release channel (ryanodine receptor)

Activation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) by Ca(2)+ is an essential step in excitation-contraction coupling in heart muscle. However, little is known about the molecular basis of activation of RyR2 by Ca(2)+. In this study, we investigated the role in Ca(2)+ sensing of the conserved glutamate 3987 located in the predicted transmembrane segment M2 of the mouse RyR2. Single point mutation of this conserved glutamate to alanine (E3987A) reduced markedly the sensitivity of the channel to activation by Ca(2)+, as measured by using single-channel recordings in planar lipid bilayers and by [(3)H]ryanodine binding assay. However, this mutation did not alter the affinity of [(3)H]ryanodine binding and the single-channel conductance. In addition, the E3987A mutant channel was activated by caffeine and ATP, was inhibited by Mg(2)+, and was modified by ryanodine in a fashion similar to that of the wild-type channel. Coexpression of the wild-type and mutant E3987A RyR2 proteins in HEK293 cells produced individual single channels with intermediate sensitivities to activating Ca(2)+. These results are consistent with the view that glutamate 3987 is a major determinant of Ca(2)+ sensitivity to activation of the mouse RyR2 channel, and that Ca(2)+ sensing by RyR2 involves the cooperative action between ryanodine receptor monomers. The results of this study also provide initial insights into the structural and functional properties of the mouse RyR2, which should be useful for studying RyR2 function and regulation in genetically modified mouse models.