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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Monitoring ER/SR Calcium Release with the Targeted Ca2+ Sensor CatchER+
Published on: May 19, 2017
Effect of Ca2+ gradient on the structure of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes
O M Vekshina1, Yu A Kim, N L Vekshin
1N. M. Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. olgavek@yandex.ru
Abstract:
The structure of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes was studied in the presence of modeled transmembrane Ca2+ gradient corresponding to the status of Ca2+ depot at different stages of the muscle contraction-relaxation cycle in health and disease. Various sites of the membrane were characterized using spectral analysis of tryptophan, pyrene, and merocyanine-540 fluorescence without evaluating specific changes in the molecules of membrane components (Ca2+ -ATPase, ryanodine receptor, and lipids). The transmembrane Ca2+ gradient modulates the protein-lipid interactions and structural characteristics of the membrane. The proposed model can be used for studies of the effects of pharmacologically active substances and endogenous regulators.
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