Ca2+ release induced by cyclic ADP ribose in mice lacking type 3 ryanodine receptor.

The action of cyclic-ADP-ribose was studied on calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscles of neonatal and adult wild-type and RyR3-deficient mice. cADPR increased calcium efflux from microsomes, enhanced caffeine-induced calcium release, and, in 20% of the tests, triggered calcium release in single muscle fibers. These responses occurred only in the diaphragm of adult RyR3-deficient mice. cADPR action was abolished by ryanodine, ruthenium red, and 8-brome-cADPR. These results strongly favor a specific action of cADPR on RyR1. The responsiveness of RyR1 appears in adult muscles when RyR3 is lacking.

Mutation screening of the RYR1 gene and identification of two novel mutations in Italian malignant hyperthermia families.

Point mutations in the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) gene are associated with malignant hyperthermia, an autosomal dominant disorder triggered in susceptible people (MHS) by volatile anaesthetics and depolarising skeletal muscle relaxants. To date, 17 missense point mutations have been identified in the human RYR1 gene by screening of the cDNA obtained from muscle biopsies. Here we report single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) screening for nine of the most frequent RYR1 mutations using genomic DNA isolated from MHS patients. In addition, the Argl63Cys mutation was analysed by restriction enzyme digestion. We analysed 57 unrelated patients and detected seven of the known RYR1 point mutations. Furthermore, we found a new mutation, Arg2454His, segregating with the MHS phenotype in a large pedigree and a novel amino acid substitution at position 2436 in another patient, indicating a 15.8% frequency of these mutations in Italian patients. A new polymorphic site in intron 16 that causes the substitution of a G at position -7 with a C residue was identified.

Mechanism of loss of thermodynamic control in mitochondria due to hyperthyroidism and temperature.

Incubation of normal mitochondria at 45 degrees C results in increases of respiration and of total apparent proton conductance (TAPC, respiration/proton motive force) and in an upward shift of the flow-force relationships. Similar effects are observed during operation of the redox proton pumps at different sites of the respiratory chain. These effects are accompanied by an almost equivalent increase of the passive proton conductance (PPC, proton leakage/proton motive force). In mitochondria from 3,3,5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3)-treated rats there are also increases of respiration and of TAPC and an upward shift of flow-force relationships, more pronounced at the level of the cytochrome oxidase proton pump. However, at variance from the incubation at 45 degrees C, in mitochondria from T3-treated rats there is only a slight increase of PPC. Addition of bovine serum albumin to normal mitochondria incubated at 45 degrees C results in a marked depression of TAPC in the nonlinear range of the flow-force relationships. An equivalent effect is not observed in mitochondria from T3-treated rats. The experimental results have been compared with computer simulations obtained on the basis of a chemiosmotic model of energy transduction. The increase of TAPC following incubation at high temperature is apparently due to changes of the proton conductance mainly at the level of PPC, while the increase of TAPC following T3 administration is rather due to changes presumably at the level of the redox or ATPase proton pumps.

Activation of respiration and loss of thermodynamic control in hyperthyroidism. Is it due to increased slipping in mitochondrial proton pumps?

T3 administration increases the extent of non-linearity in the flow-force relationship between pump proton conductance and protonmotive force. The effect is present also at the ATPase proton pump. These effects are not accompanied by changes in passive proton conductance. Incubation of mitochondria at 45 degrees C also causes an increased non-linearity, accompanied by a partial increase of proton conductance. It appears that the increase of respiratory activity following T3 administration is due to loss of thermodynamic control within or at the proton pumps, an effect which might be attributed to increased slipping.