Sulfhydryl oxidation modifies the calcium dependence of ryanodine- sensitive calcium channels of excitable cells

Abstract

The calcium dependence of ryanodine-sensitive single calcium channels was studied after fusing with planar lipid bilayers sarcoendoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from excitable tissues. Native channels from mammalian or amphibian skeletal muscle displayed three different calcium dependencies, cardiac (C), mammalian skeletal (MS), and low fractional open times (low P(o)), as reported for channels from brain cortex. Native channels from cardiac muscle presented only the MS and C dependencies. Channels with the MS or low P(o) behaviors showed bell-shaped calcium dependencies, but the latter had fractional open times of <0.1 at all [Ca2+]. Channels with C calcium dependence were activated by [Ca2+] < 10 μM and were notinhibited by increasing cis [Ca2+] up to 0.5 mM. After oxidation with 2,2'- dithiodipyridine or thimerosal, channels with low P(o) or MS dependencies increased their activity. These channels modified their calcium dependencies sequentially, from low P(o) to MS and C, or