Abstract
Considerable information is available for intact skeletal and cardiac muscle cells on the role of changes in intracellular Ca2+ (Cai2+) levels during excitation–contraction coupling1–3. Cai2+ levels seem to be similarly important in smooth muscle4,5. However, only two published reports describe the use of indicators to directly measure [Cai2+] in intact smooth muscle cells. One described the use of murexide in molluscan smooth muscle6, the other the use of aequorin in single amphibian cells7. Their results differed: very long calcium transients were described for the molluscan muscle, compared with very brief ones for the amphibian cells. We present here the first description of the relationship between calcium transients and contraction of whole, mammalian smooth muscle injected with aequorin. The Ca2+ transient we observed has a slow rise, a long duration, and there was no delay between the peak of the Ca2+ transient and the onset of force. This contrasts with the amphibian findings but resembles the molluscan data. We observed a delay between the onset of the increase in [Cai2+] and the onset of the rise in tension which might be explained, at least in part, by the presence of a threshold [Cai2+] for concentration.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blinks, J. R., Rüdel, R. & Taylor, S. R. J. Physiol., Lond. 277, 291–323 (1978).
Wier, W. G. Science 207, 1085–1087 (1980).
Allen, D. G. & Blinks, J. R. Nature 273, 509–513 (1978).
Hartshorne, D. J. in Handbook of Physiology, The Cardiovascular System Vol. II, 93–120 (Am. Physiol. Soc., Bethesda, Maryland, 1980).
Endo, M., Kitazawa, T., Yagi, S., Iino, M. & Kakuta, Y. in Excitation–Contraction Coupling in Smooth Muscle (eds Casteels, R. et al.) 199–210 (Eisevier, Amsterdam, 1977).
Kometani, K. & Sugi, H. Experientia 34, 1469–1470 (1978).
Fay, F. S., Shlevin, H. H., Granger, W. C. & Taylor, S. R. Nature 280, 506–508 (1979).
El-Sharkawy, T. Y., Morgan, K. G. & Szurszewski, J. H. J. Physiol., Lond. 279, 291–307 (1978).
Blinks, J. R., Prendergast, F. G. & Allen, D. G. Pharmac. Rev. 28, 1–93 (1976).
Blinks, J. R. et al. Meth. Enzym. 57, 292–328 (1978).
Morgan, K. G., Muir, T. C. & Szurszewski, J. H. J. Physiol., Lond. (in the press).
Morgan, K. G. & Szurszewski, J. H. J. Physiol., Lond. 301, 229–242 (1980).
Chacko, S., Conti, M. A. & Adelstein, R. S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 129–133 (1977).
Bremel, R. D., Sobieszek, A. & Small, J. V. in The Biochemistry of Smooth Muscle (ed. Stephens, N. L.) 533–549 (University Park Press, Baltimore, 1977).
Aksoy, M. O., Williams, D., Sharkey, E. M. & Hartshorne, D. J. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 69, 35–41 (1976).
Aksoy, M. O., Dillon, P. F. & Murphy Fedn Proc. 39, 2042–2044 (1980).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neering, I., Morgan, K. Use of aequorin to study excitation–contraction coupling in mammalian smooth muscle. Nature 288, 585–587 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/288585a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/288585a0
This article is cited by
-
The functional and molecular studies on involvement of hydrogen sulphide in myometrial activity of non-pregnant buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)
BMC Veterinary Research (2017)
-
Metal cations as synaptosomal calcium blockers in studies with Fura-2
Neurochemical Research (1989)
-
Contractile properties of chemically skinned fibers from pregnant rat myometrium: existence of an internal Ca-store
Pflügers Archiv European Journal of Physiology (1988)
-
Measurement by Quin2 of changes of the intracellular calcium concentration in strips of the rabbit ear artery and of the guinea-pig ileum
Pfl�gers Archiv European Journal of Physiology (1987)
-
Mobilization of free Ca2+ measured during contraction-relaxation cycles in smooth muscle cells of the porcine coronary artery using quin2
Pfl�gers Archiv European Journal of Physiology (1986)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.