45Ca efflux from anterior byssus retractor muscle in phasic and catch contraction

Phasic or catch contractions in Mytilus anterior byssus retractor muscle (ABRM) were activated by acetylcholine (ACh) and catch relaxation was initiated by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT). During phasic contraction and early in catch there is a brief increase in 45Ca efflux. When catch occurs, there is a subsequent drop in 45Ca efflux which then slowly recovers as catch tension declines. With catch relaxation by 5HT there is a biphasic increase in 45Ca efflux, identical to that seen when 5HT is applied to resting muscle. Compartment analyses based on the magnitude of pairs of these responses at varying times of the washout indicated that the increase in 45Ca efflux with activation originates from a compartment with the same time constant as the intermediate (80--100 min) compartment already described by previous resting efflux experiments. The decrease in 45Ca efflux during catch also involves this compartment. The increase in 45Ca efflux with 5HT originates from a more slowly exchanging Ca store with a time constant of approximately200 min.