Different types of Ca2+ channels in mammalian skeletal muscle cells in culture

This paper describes the existence of two pharmacologically distinct types of Ca2+ channels in rat skeletal muscle cells (myoballs) in culture. The first class of Ca2+ channels is insensitive to the dihydropyridine (DHP) (+)-PN 200-110; the second class of Ca2+ channels is blocked by low concentrations of (+)-PN 200-110. The two pharmacologically different Ca2+ channels are also different in their voltage and time dependence. The threshold for activation of the DHP-insensitive Ca2+ channel is near -65 mV, whereas the threshold for activation of the DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channel is near -30 mV. Current flowing through the DHP-insensitive Ca2+ channel is transient with relatively fast kinetics. Half-maximal inactivation for the DHP-insensitive Ca2+ channel is observed at a holding potential Vh0.5 = -78 mV and the channel is completely inactivated at -60 mV. Two different behaviors have been found for DHP-sensitive channels with two different kinetics of inactivation (one being about 16 times faster than the other at -2 mV) and two different voltage dependencies. These two different behaviors are often observed in the same myoball and may correspond to two different subtypes of DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channels or to two different modes of expression of one single Ca2+ channel protein.