Abstract
1. Calcium-release channels (ryanodine receptors) of canine cardiac
sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were incorporated into lipid bilayer
membranes at the tip of a patch pipette. Using symmetrical 150 mM
KCl solutions, Ca2+ > 0.3 microM activated single channels of 627
pS conductance. The kinetics of Ca(2+)-mediated channel activation,
deactivation and inactivation were studied by stepwise changes in
pCa (-logCa2+) and analysis of current means. 2. Steps of Ca2+
activated the channel open probability (Po) along a time course which
could be fitted by a single exponential. The activation time constant
was dependent on Ca2+, which decreased from 4.9 ms at pCa 6.5 to
0.2 ms at pCa 3. Subsequent rapid reduction in Ca2+ decreased Po
along a mono-exponential deactivation time course, the time constant
of which was independent of the Ca2+ during the preceding activation
period. Further analysis yielded the rate constants kon of 2 x 10(8)
(M s)-1 and koff of 2 x 10(2) s-1, an apparent dissociation constant
(KD) of 1 microM, and a Hill coefficient of 1.05. 3. The open probability
increased with Ca2+, reaching a peak at about pCa 5.5. At pCa <
or = 5.5, Po decreased time dependently, the time constants decreasing
along with Ca2+ from 1 s at 3 microM to 0.2 s at 1 mM. During the
0.5 s period at 3 microM Ca2+, Po fell by 13\% due to an extension
of the closed times. At 1 mM Ca2+, Po 'inactivated' by 72\%, which
was due mostly to long closures. These differences suggest that the
Ca(2+)-mediated decay of Po was dependent on Ca2+ binding to an intermediate
(KD, 3 microM) and a low affinity site (KD, 360 microM). On the return
of pCa from 3 to > 8, the channels briefly re-opened. 4. A 'refractory'
behaviour of the channel was not observed for 20 ms steps between
< 10 nM and < 10 microM Ca2+ (25 Hz). For steps between 10 nM and
1 mM, however, such behaviour was marked by infrequent and irregular
channel openings. 5. The results are described by a three Ca2+ binding
site model and compared with the literature.
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