Journal
METHODS
Volume 46, Issue 3, Pages 183-193Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2008.09.017
Keywords
RyR; Ca2+ spark; Confocal microscopy; Caged compounds
Funding
- Muscular Dystrophy Association
- Swiss National Science Foundation
- Swiss Foundation for Research on Muscle Diseases
- UMDNJ foundation
- Sigrist Foundation
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The ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are intracellular Ca2+ release channels of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) involved in many cellular responses, including muscle excitation-contraction coupling. Multiple biochemical and biophysical methods are available to study RyR functions. However, most of them are somewhat limited because they can only be used to examine channels which are purified from the SR and no longer in their natural environment. In this review we discuss optical methods for studying RyR functions in situ. We describe several techniques for the investigation of local (microscopic) intracellular Ca2+ signals (a.k.a Ca2+ sparks) by means of confocal microscopy and flash photolysis of caged compounds. We discuss how these studies can and will continue to contribute to our understanding of RyR function in physiological and pathological conditions. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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