Summary
The distribution of Ca2+ and Mg2+ among the ‘regulatory’ cation binding sites of troponin (T-sites) and the strong, Ca2+-Mg2+ binding sites of troponin and parvalbumins (P-sites) in the sarcoplasm of a muscle was calculated. At rest, 60% of the T-sites were metal free, while 92% of the P-sites were loaded with Mg2+.
In response to a Ca2+ pulse, troponin-calcium (T-Ca) complexes were rapidly formed, while the binding of Ca2+ to P-sites was limited by the slow rate of dissociation of the parvalbumin-magnesium (P-Mg) complexes. Muscle activation was not prevented by a high content of parvalbumins.
Parvalbumin and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) pump were complementary relaxing factors that removed Ca2+ from the cytosol and from the T-sites. Parvalbumins dominated the first part of relaxation, while the action of the SR was essential to ensure the return to a very low level of free Ca2+ ion and of T-Ca. After relaxation, a large fraction of the Ca2+ pulse was still bound to parvalbumins and returned slowly to the SR during the recovery.
When the SR activity was reduced, the presence of parvalbumins preserved a fast rate of relaxation, at least for a few contractions. This may have a high adaptive value in cold-blooded animals.
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Ed. notation: Free calcium ion (free Ca2+); bound calcium ion (bound Ca2+).
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Gillis, J.M., Thomason, D., Lefèvre, J. et al. Parvalbumins and muscle relaxation: a computer simulation study. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 3, 377–398 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712090
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712090