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Small Ankyrins (sAnk1) are muscle-specific isoforms generated by the Ank1 gene that participate in the organization of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of striated muscles. Accordingly, the volume of SR tubules localized around the myofibrils is strongly reduced in skeletal muscle fibers of 4- and 10-month-old sAnk1 knockout (KO) mice, while additional structural alterations only develop with aging. To verify whether the lack of sAnk1 also alters intracellular Ca 2+ handling, cytosolic Ca 2+ levels were analyzed in stimulated skeletal muscle fibers from 4- and 10-month-old sAnk1 KO mice. The SR Ca 2+ content was reduced in sAnk1 KO mice regardless of age. The amplitude of the Ca 2+ transients induced by depolarizing pulses was decreased in myofibers of sAnk1 KO with respect to wild type (WT) fibers, while their voltage dependence was not affected. Furthermore, analysis of spontaneous Ca 2+ release events (sparks) on saponin-permeabilized muscle fibers indicated that the frequency of sparks was significantly lower in fibers from 4-month-old KO mice compared to WT. Furthermore, both the amplitude and spatial spread of sparks were significantly smaller in muscle fibers from both 4- and 10-month-old KO mice compared to WT. These data suggest that the absence of sAnk1 results in an impairment of SR Ca 2+ release, likely as a consequence of a decreased Ca 2+ store due to the reduction of the SR volume in sAnk1 KO muscle fibers.

Store-operated Ca 2+ entry (SOCE) is a Ca 2+ -entry process activated by the depletion of intracellular stores and has an important role in many cell types. In skeletal muscle, however, its role during physiological muscle activation has been controversial. To address this question, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release in a mouse strain with a naturally occurring mutation in the myostatin gene (Compact (Cmpt)) leading to a hypermuscular yet reduced muscle-force phenotype was compared to that in wild-type mice. To elicit Ca 2+ release from the SR of flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) fibers, either a ryanodine receptor agonist (4-chloro-meta-cresol) or depolarizing pulses were used. In muscles from Cmpt mice, endogenous protein levels of STIM1 and Orai1 were reduced, and consequently, SOCE after 4-chloro-meta-cresol-induced store depletion was suppressed. Although the voltage dependence of SR calcium release was not statistically different between wild-type and Cmpt fibers, the amount of releasable calcium was significantly reduced in the latter, indicating a smaller SR content. To assess the immediate role of SOCE in replenishing the SR calcium store, the evolution of intracellular calcium concentration during a train of long-lasting depolarizations to a maximally activating voltage was monitored. Cmpt mice exhibited a faster decline in calcium release, suggesting a compromised ability to refill the SR. A simple model that incorporates a reduced SOCE as an important partner in regulating immediate calcium influx through the surface membrane readily accounts for the steady-state reduction in SR calcium content and its more pronounced decline after calcium release., (Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Key Points: Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although the exact regulatory role of its receptors (CB1 cannabinoid receptor; CB1R) in the excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) of mammalian skeletal muscle remains unknown. We found that CB1R activation or its knockout did not affect muscle force directly, whereas its activation decreased the Ca 2+ -sensitivity of the contractile apparatus and made the muscle fibres more prone to fatigue. We demonstrate that CB1Rs are not connected to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate pathway either in myotubes or in adult muscle fibres. By contrast, CB1Rs constitutively inhibit sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ release and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ ATPase during ECC in a G i/o protein-mediated way in adult skeletal muscle fibres but not in myotubes. These results help with our understanding of the physiological effects and pathological consequences of CB1R activation in skeletal muscle and may be useful in the development of new cannabinoid drugs., Abstract: Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although it is unknown whether it affects the muscles directly or modulates only the motor control of the central nervous system. Although the presence of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), which are responsible for the psychoactive effects of the drug in the brain, have recently been demonstrated in skeletal muscle, it is unclear how CB1R-mediated signalling affects the contraction and Ca²⁺ homeostasis of mammalian skeletal muscle. In the present study, we demonstrate that in vitro CB1R activation increased muscle fatigability and decreased the Ca 2+ -sensitivity of the contractile apparatus, whereas it did not alter the amplitude of single twitch contractions. In myotubes, CB1R agonists neither evoked, nor influenced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 )-mediated Ca 2+ transients, nor did they alter excitation-contraction coupling. By contrast, in isolated muscle fibres of wild-type mice, although CB1R agonists did not evoke IP 3 -mediated Ca 2+ transients too, they significantly reduced the amplitude of the depolarization-evoked transients in a pertussis-toxin sensitive manner, indicating a G i/o protein-dependent mechanism. Concurrently, on skeletal muscle fibres isolated from CB1R-knockout animals, depolarization-evoked Ca 2+ transients, as well qas Ca 2+ release flux via ryanodine receptors (RyRs), and the total amount of released Ca 2+ was significantly greater than that from wild-type mice. Our results show that CB1R-mediated signalling exerts both a constitutive and an agonist-mediated inhibition on the Ca 2+ transients via RyR, regulates the activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ ATPase and enhances muscle fatigability, which might decrease exercise performance, thus playing a role in myopathies, and therefore should be considered during the development of new cannabinoid drugs., (© 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.)

Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) current (ICl(Ca)) mediated by TMEM16A and/or Bestrophin-3 may contribute to cardiac arrhythmias. The true profile of ICl(Ca) during an actual ventricular action potential (AP), however, is poorly understood. We aimed to study the profile of ICl(Ca) systematically under physiological conditions (normal Ca(2+) cycling and AP voltage-clamp) as well as in conditions designed to change [Ca(2+)]i. The expression of TMEM16A and/or Bestrophin-3 in canine and human left ventricular myocytes was examined. The possible spatial distribution of these proteins and their co-localization with Cav1.2 was also studied. The profile of ICl(Ca), identified as a 9-anthracene carboxylic acid-sensitive current under AP voltage-clamp conditions, contained an early fast outward and a late inward component, overlapping early and terminal repolarizations, respectively. Both components were moderately reduced by ryanodine, while fully abolished by BAPTA, but not EGTA. [Ca(2+)]i was monitored using Fura-2-AM. Setting [Ca(2+)]i to the systolic level measured in the bulk cytoplasm (1.1μM) decreased ICl(Ca), while application of Bay K8644, isoproterenol, and faster stimulation rates increased the amplitude of ICl(Ca). Ca(2+)-entry through L-type Ca(2+) channels was essential for activation of ICl(Ca). TMEM16A and Bestrophin-3 showed strong co-localization with one another and also with Cav1.2 channels, when assessed using immunolabeling and confocal microscopy in both canine myocytes and human ventricular myocardium. Activation of ICl(Ca) in canine ventricular cells requires Ca(2+)-entry through neighboring L-type Ca(2+) channels and is only augmented by SR Ca(2+)-release. Substantial activation of ICl(Ca) requires high Ca(2+) concentration in the dyadic clefts which can be effectively buffered by BAPTA, but not EGTA., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Obscurin is a giant sarcomeric protein expressed in striated muscles known to establish several interactions with other proteins of the sarcomere, but also with proteins of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and costameres. Here, we report experiments aiming to better understand the contribution of obscurin to skeletal muscle fibers, starting with a detailed characterization of the diaphragm muscle function, which we previously reported to be the most affected muscle in obscurin (Obscn) KO mice. Twitch and tetanus tension were not significantly different in the diaphragm of WT and Obscn KO mice, while the time to peak (TTP) and half relaxation time (HRT) were prolonged. Differences in force-frequency and force-velocity relationships and an enhanced fatigability are observed in an Obscn KO diaphragm with respect to WT controls. Voltage clamp experiments show that a sarcoplasmic reticulum's Ca2+ release and SERCA reuptake rates were decreased in muscle fibers from Obscn KO mice, suggesting that an impairment in intracellular Ca2+ dynamics could explain the observed differences in the TTP and HRT in the diaphragm. In partial contrast with previous observations, Obscn KO mice show a normal exercise tolerance, but fiber damage, the altered sarcomere ultrastructure and M-band disarray are still observed after intense exercise.

In mammalian skeletal muscle, the propagation of surface membrane depolarization into the interior of the muscle fibre along the transverse (T) tubular network is essential for the synchronized release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) via ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in response to the conformational change in the voltage‐sensor dihydropyridine receptors. Deficiency in 3‐phosphoinositide phosphatase myotubularin (MTM1) has been reported to disrupt T‐tubules, resulting in impaired SR calcium release. Here confocal calcium transients recorded in muscle fibres of MTM1‐deficient mice were compared with the results from a model where propagation of the depolarization along the T‐tubules was modelled mathematically with disruptions in the network assumed to modify the access and transmembrane resistance as well as the capacitance. If, in simulations, T‐tubules were assumed to be partially or completely inaccessible to the depolarization and RyRs at these points to be prime for calcium‐induced calcium release, all the features of measured SR calcium release could be reproduced. We conclude that the inappropriate propagation of the depolarization into the fibre interior is the initial critical cause of severely impaired SR calcium release in MTM1 deficiency, while the Ca2+‐triggered opening of RyRs provides an alleviating support to the diseased process. Key points: Myotubular myopathy is a fatal disease due to genetic deficiency in the phosphoinositide phosphatase MTM1.Although the causes are known and corresponding gene therapy strategies are being developed, there is no mechanistic understanding of the disease‐associated muscle function failure.Resolving this issue is of primary interest not only for a fundamental understanding of how MTM1 is critical for healthy muscle function, but also for establishing the related cellular mechanisms most primarily or stringently affected by the disease, which are thus of potential interest as therapy targets.The mathematical modelling approach used in the present work proves that the disease‐associated alteration of the plasma membrane invagination network is sufficient to explain the dysfunctions of excitation–contraction coupling, providing the first integrated quantitative framework that explains the associated contraction failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although the exact regulatory role of its receptors (CB1 cannabinoid receptor; CB1R) in the excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) of mammalian skeletal muscle remains unknown., We found that CB1R activation or its knockout did not affect muscle force directly, whereas its activation decreased the Ca2+-sensitivity of the contractile apparatus and made the muscle fibres more prone to fatigue., We demonstrate that CB1Rs are not connected to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate pathway either in myotubes or in adult muscle fibres., By contrast, CB1Rs constitutively inhibit sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase during ECC in a Gi/o protein-mediated way in adult skeletal muscle fibres but not in myotubes., These results help with our understanding of the physiological effects and pathological consequences of CB1R activation in skeletal muscle and may be useful in the development of new cannabinoid drugs., Abstract Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although it is unknown whether it affects the muscles directly or modulates only the motor control of the central nervous system. Although the presence of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), which are responsible for the psychoactive effects of the drug in the brain, have recently been demonstrated in skeletal muscle, it is unclear how CB1R-mediated signalling affects the contraction and Ca²⁺ homeostasis of mammalian skeletal muscle. In the present study, we demonstrate that in vitro CB1R activation increased muscle fatigability and decreased the Ca2+-sensitivity of the contractile apparatus, whereas it did not alter the amplitude of single twitch contractions. In myotubes, CB1R agonists neither evoked, nor influenced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-mediated Ca2+ transients, nor did they alter excitation-contraction coupling. By contrast, in isolated muscle fibres of wild-type mice, although CB1R agonists did not evoke IP3-mediated Ca2+ transients too, they significantly reduced the amplitude of the depolarization-evoked transients in a pertussis-toxin sensitive manner, indicating a Gi/o protein-dependent mechanism. Concurrently, on skeletal muscle fibres isolated from CB1R-knockout animals, depolarization-evoked Ca2+ transients, as well qas Ca2+ release flux via ryanodine receptors (RyRs), and the total amount of released Ca2+ was significantly greater than that from wild-type mice. Our results show that CB1R-mediated signalling exerts both a constitutive and an agonist-mediated inhibition on the Ca2+ transients via RyR, regulates the activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase and enhances muscle fatigability, which might decrease exercise performance, thus playing a role in myopathies, and therefore should be considered during the development of new cannabinoid drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points Hypermuscularity associated with naturally occurring mutations in the myostatin gene as found in Compact mice results in increased muscle mass but reduced specific force., The calcium sensitivity of the contractile apparatus as assessed on chemically skinned skeletal muscle fibres under isometric conditions is not altered in these animals., While the resting calcium concentration remains unaffected, depolarization-evoked increases in intracellular calcium concentration are suppressed., Spontaneous calcium release events from sarcoplasmic reticulum are also decreased in frequency, amplitude and spatial spread., Our results suggest that mutations in the myostatin gene are accompanied by alterations in excitation contraction coupling, which manifest as a reduction in sarcoplasmic calcium release., Abstract Myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor β family, is a potent negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, as myostatin-deficient mice show a great increase in muscle mass. Yet the physical performance of these animals is reduced. As an explanation for this, alterations in the steps in excitation-contraction coupling were hypothesized and tested for in mice with the 12 bp deletion in the propeptide region of the myostatin precursor (MstnCmpt-dl1Abc or Cmpt). In voluntary wheel running, control C57BL/6 mice performed better than the mutant animals in both maximal speed and total distance covered. Despite the previously described lower specific force of Cmpt animals, the pCa-force relationship, determined on chemically permeabilized fibre segments, did not show any significant difference between the two mouse strains. While resting intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) measured on single intact flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle fibres using Fura-2 AM was similar to control (72.0 ± 1.7 vs. 78.1 ± 2.9 n m, n = 38 and 45), the amplitude of KCl-evoked calcium transients was smaller (360 ± 49 vs. 222 ± 45 n m, n = 22) in the mutant strain. Similar results were obtained using tetanic stimulation and Rhod-2 AM, which gave calcium transients that were smaller (2.42 ± 0.11 vs. 2.06 ± 0.10 Δ F/ F0, n = 14 and 13, respectively) on Cmpt mice. Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release flux calculated from these transients showed a reduced peak (23.7 ± 3.0 vs. 15.8 ± 2.1 mMs−1) and steady level (5.7 ± 0.7 vs. 3.7 ± 0.5 m m s−1) with no change in the peak-to-steady ratio. The amplitude and spatial spread of calcium release events detected on permeabilized FDB fibres were also significantly smaller in mutant mice. These results suggest that reduced SR calcium release underlies the reduced muscle force in Cmpt animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obscurin is a giant sarcomeric protein expressed in striated muscles known to establish several interactions with other proteins of the sarcomere, but also with proteins of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and costameres. Here, we report experiments aiming to better understand the contribution of obscurin to skeletal muscle fibers, starting with a detailed characterization of the diaphragm muscle function, which we previously reported to be the most affected muscle in obscurin (Obscn) KO mice. Twitch and tetanus tension were not significantly different in the diaphragm of WT and Obscn KO mice, while the time to peak (TTP) and half relaxation time (HRT) were prolonged. Differences in force-frequency and force-velocity relationships and an enhanced fatigability are observed in an Obscn KO diaphragm with respect to WT controls. Voltage clamp experiments show that a sarcoplasmic reticulum's Ca2+ release and SERCA reuptake rates were decreased in muscle fibers from Obscn KO mice, suggesting that an impairment in intracellular Ca2+ dynamics could explain the observed differences in the TTP and HRT in the diaphragm. In partial contrast with previous observations, Obscn KO mice show a normal exercise tolerance, but fiber damage, the altered sarcomere ultrastructure and M-band disarray are still observed after intense exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: TPEN (N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)-ethylenediamine) is a membrane-permeable heavy-metal ion chelator with a dissociation constant for Ca2+ comparable to the Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]) within the intracellular Ca2+ stores. It has been used as modulator of intracellular heavy metals and of free intraluminal [Ca2+], without influencing the cytosolic [Ca2+] that falls in the nanomolar range. In our previous studies, we gave evidence that TPEN modifies the Ca2+ homeostasis of striated muscle independent of this buffering ability. Here we describe the direct interaction of TPEN with the ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ release channel and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ pump (SERCA). In lipid bilayers, at negative potentials and low [Ca2+], TPEN increased the open probability of RyR, while at positive potentials it inhibited channel activity. On permeabilized skeletal muscle fibers of the frog, but not of the rat, 50μM TPEN increased the number of spontaneous Ca2+ sparks and induced propagating events with a velocity of 273±7μm/s. Determining the hydrolytic activity of the SR revealed that TPEN inhibits the SERCA pump, with an IC50 =692±62μM and a Hill coefficient of 0.88±0.10. These findings provide experimental evidence that TPEN directly modifies both the release of Ca2+ from and its reuptake into the SR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]