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Sandor Györke, Brian M. Hagen, Dmitry Terentyev, W. Jonathan Lederer
Published in Volume 117, Issue 7
J Clin Invest. 2007; 117(7):1758–1762 doi:10.1172/JCI32496
Abstract | Full text | PDF
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Figure 1
Intracellular Ca2+ handling in cardiomyocytes.

(A) Calcium transients begin with the initial influx of Ca2+ via L-type Ca2+ channels followed by Ca2+ release from the SR via RyR2s, which culminates in contraction. During relaxation, Ca2+ reuptake occurs via the PLN-regulated Ca2+ pump SERCA2a. The major Ca2+ buffering protein in the SR is CASQ2. High [Ca2+]SR converts monomeric CASQ2 (bound to the RyR2-triadin-junctin complex) to the polymeric CASQ2 form that buffers Ca2+ and remains close to the complex in the jSR. Calstabin2 and monomeric CASQ2 bind to the complex and stabilize RyR2 activity. (B) Altered Ca2+ handling in CASQ2-deficient myocytes. As Song et al. report (10), in CASQ2-deficient mouse myocytes, RyR2 expression is significantly upregulated and calreticulin abundance is slightly increased. There is a decrease in Ca2+ in the SR. Despite altered Ca2+ handling in these animals under resting conditions, these compensatory changes in protein expression appear to help maintain relatively normal heart function. However, under catecholamine- or exercise-induced stress, RyR2 instability increases, leading to an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia. nSR, nonjunctional SR.