Biochemical properties of purified transverse tubules isolated from skeletal muscle triads.

Transverse tubules (t-tubules) were prepared from muscle by dissociation of intact triads during centrifugation in ion-free sucrose gradients. They were further purified by the removal of contaminating sarcoplasmic reticulum after loading with calcium phosphate. Purification was accompanied by enrichment in markers specific for t-tubules, e.g., nitrendipine binding sites. According to gel electrophoresis the purified t-tubules contained three major protein bands of 104, 70, and 30 kDa. When solubilized with detergents there was a two- to threefold increase in Mg2+-ATPase activity, and a corresponding increase in the 30-kDa protein band. The 104-kDa protein was shown to be a (Na+ + K+)-ATPase because of its phosphorylation by [gamma-32P]ATP in the presence of sodium ions. The orientation of the t-tubule membrane was predominantly inside-out.