Abstract
During calcium-induced calcium-release, the ryanodine receptor (RyR)
opens and releases large amounts of calcium from the sarcoplasmic
reticulum into the cytoplasm of the myocyte. Recent experiments have
suggested that cooperativity between the four monomers comprising
the RyR plays an important role in the dynamics of the overall receptor.
Furthermore, this cooperativity can be affected by the binding of
FK506 binding protein, and hence, modulated by adrenergic stimulation
through the phosphorylating action of protein kinase A. This has
important implications for heart failure, where it has been hypothesized
that RyR hyperphosphorylation, resulting in a loss of cooperativity,
can lead to a persistent leak and a reduced sarcoplasmic-reticula
content. In this study, we construct a theoretical model that examines
the cooperativity via the assumption of an allosteric interaction
between the four subunits. We find that the level of cooperativity,
regulated by the binding of FK506 binding-protein, can have a dramatic
effect on the excitation-contraction coupling gain and that this
gain exhibits a clear maximum. These findings are compared to currently
available data from different species and allows for an evaluation
of the aforementioned heart-failure scenario.
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