Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Purification of the Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from Rabbit Muscle
Published on: March 21, 2025
Role of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase in thermogenesis
Leopoldo de Meis1, Ana Paula Arruda, Denise P Carvalho
1Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, 21941-590 RJ, Brasil. demeis@bioqmed.ufrj.br
Abstract:
Enzymes are able to handle the energy derived from the hydrolysis of phosphate compounds in such a way as to determine the parcel that is used for work and the fraction that is converted into heat. The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPases (SERCA) is a family of membrane-bound ATPases that are able to transport Ca(2+) ion across the membrane using the chemical energy derived from ATP hydrolysis. The heat released during ATP hydrolysis by SERCA may vary from 10 up to 30 kcal/mol depending on the SERCA isoform used and on whether or not a Ca(2+) gradient is formed across the membrane. Drugs such as heparin, dimethyl sulfoxide and the platelet-activating factor (PAF) are able to modify the fraction of the chemical energy released during ATP hydrolysis that is used for Ca(2+) transport and the fraction that is dissipated in the surrounding medium as heat. The thyroid hormone 3,5,3'-triiodo L: -thyronine (T(3)) regulates the expression and function of the thermogenic SERCA isoforms. Modulation of heat production by SERCA might be one of the mechanisms involved in the increased thermogenesis found in hyperthyroidism.
Related Concept Videos
ATP Driven Pumps II: P-type Pumps
A typical P-type pump has three cytosolic domains: nucleotide-binding (N), phosphorylation (P), and activator (A) domains. These domains are connected to the membrane-spanning helices by short amino acid segments. ATP hydrolysis and covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate formation are crucial parts of the catalytic cycle. At the highly...
Cross-bridge Cycle
ATP Synthase: Mechanism
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Energy to Drive Translocation
Generally, polypeptides are unfolded by two distinct...

