Distribution of SERCA isoforms in human intrafusal fibers.

The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) is a membrane protein that plays a crucial role in muscle relaxation by transporting cytosolic Ca2+ into the lumen of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum. In this study, the presence of SERCA1 and SERCA2 was investigated in human intrafusal fibers by immunocytochemistry. Nuclear bag1 fibers contained both SERCA1 and SERCA2 isoforms, with predominant staining seen with SERCA2 in the A and B regions. Most nuclear bag2 fibers also contained SERCA1 and SERCA2 isoforms and their coexistence frequently occurred in the A region. SERCA1 was present whereas SERCA2 was generally absent in the nuclear chain fibers. The staining intensity seen with the SERCA1 monoclonal antibody varied in the order of chain>bag1>bag2. The expression of SERCA1 isoform was found to correlate with the presence of fast myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform in nuclear chain fibers, whereas for nuclear bag fibers there was no such apparent correlation between patterns of expression of SERCA and MyHC isoforms. The phenotype revealed for the human bag fibers was very sophisticated and adapted to attain a very wide range of contraction and relaxation velocities.