Transient kinetics of Ca2+ transport of sarcoplasmic reticulum. A comparison of cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Current evidence supports similar functions and mechanisms for cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (CSR) as for skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SSR). It is thought that the slower relaxation rate of cardiac muscle compared to fast skeletal muscle reflects the lower ATPase activity and calcium transport of CSR. Possible quantitative differences is phosphorylation, dephosphorylation, and calcium transport of the isolated preparations are studied using a quench-flow apparatus. The results show that both CSR and SSR bind calcium tightly in the absence of ATP, and coupling of E approximately P formation and calcium transport occurs in the transient phase of ATP hydrolysis. The rate of phosphorylation (t-1/2 - 10 ms) of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) preloaded with calcium is the same for cardiac and skeletal preparations. However, the rates of dissociation of extra vesicular calcium (10 s-1 versus 15 s-1), phosphorylation of calcium-free SR, and dephosphorylation of E approximately P (8 s-1 versus 12 s-1) are lower for CSR than for SSR. By computer simulation, the apparent rate constants associated with the reduced rates of phosphorylation of calcium-free SR were: 12 s-1 for CSR and 63 s-1 for SSR in the presence of high Mg2+. The difference in the rates may be partly responsible for the lower levels of ATPase and calcium transport activity with characterize cardiac muscle preparations.