Isolation and characterization of sarcoplasmic reticulum from normal and dystrophic chicken

Purified sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from normal and dystrophic chicken skeletal muscle have been isolated by a procedure employing pressure disruption of a microsomal suspension. The dystrophic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) exhibited reduced Ca++ transport and phosphoenzyme formation, but the Ca++-ATPase activity was normal. Normal and dystrophic SR showed similar lipid profiles, except for a significant increase in free fatty acids in the dystrophic SR. Investigations involving the interaction of oleic acid with normal SR showed fatty acids can induce conditions similar to those found in dystrophic SR.