Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1974 Mar 1;60(3):602–615. doi: 10.1083/jcb.60.3.602

SPHEROIDAL BODIES IN THE JUNCTIONAL SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM OF LIZARD MYOCARDIAL CELLS

M S Forbes 1, N Sperelakis 1
PMCID: PMC2109240  PMID: 4824288

Abstract

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of lizard (Anolis carolinensis) myocardial cells has been examined, with particular attention being paid to the structural details of the peripheral couplings (junctional SR). Spheroidal bodies are present within the opaque core of junctional SR; these can be seen both in sections made en face and in sections cut to show the apposition of the junctional SR with the sarcolemma. Opaque junctional processes extend between the sarcolemma and the peripheral junctional SR. The myocardial cells in addition contain some SR cisternae deep within the cells which also possess opaque cores composed of spheroids. Although the significance of the junctional SR spheroidal bodies is unknown, it is thought that they could act as a matrix on which enzymes such as calcium-specific ATPase may be located.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.6 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baker P. F., Blaustein M. P., Hodgkin A. L., Steinhardt R. A. The influence of calcium on sodium efflux in squid axons. J Physiol. 1969 Feb;200(2):431–458. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008702. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baringer J. R., Swoveland P. Tubular aggregates in endoplasmic reticulum: evidence against their viral nature. J Ultrastruct Res. 1972 Nov;41(3):270–276. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(72)90069-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Birks R. I., Davey D. F. Osmotic responses demonstrating the extracellular character of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. J Physiol. 1969 May;202(1):171–188. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008802. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bowman R. W. Mitochondrial connections in canine myocardium. Tex Rep Biol Med. 1967 Winter;25(4):517–524. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cole J. S., Wills R. E., Winterscheid L. C., Reichenbach D. D., Blackmon J. R. The Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: problems in evaluation and surgical therapy. Circulation. 1970 Jul;42(1):111–121. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.42.1.111. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Devine C. E., Somlyo A. V., Somlyo A. P. Sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria as cation accumulation sites in smooth muscle. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1973 Mar 15;265(867):17–23. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1973.0005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FRANZINI-ARMSTRONG C. PORES IN THE SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM. J Cell Biol. 1963 Dec;19:637–641. doi: 10.1083/jcb.19.3.637. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fawcett D. W., McNutt N. S. The ultrastructure of the cat myocardium. I. Ventricular papillary muscle. J Cell Biol. 1969 Jul;42(1):1–45. doi: 10.1083/jcb.42.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ferrans V. J., Hibbs R. G., Buja L. M. Nucleoside phosphatase activity in atrial and ventricular myocardium of the rat: a light and electron microscopic study. Am J Anat. 1969 May;125(1):47–85. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001250104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Forbes M. S., Rubio R., Sperelakis N. Tubular systems of Limulus myocardial cells investigated by use of electron-opaque tracers and hypertonicity. J Ultrastruct Res. 1972 Jun;39(5):580–597. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(72)90123-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Forbes M. S., Sperelakis N. Ultrastructure of lizard ventricular muscle. J Ultrastruct Res. 1971 Mar;34(5):439–451. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(71)80057-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Forssmann W. G., Girardier L. A study of the T system in rat heart. J Cell Biol. 1970 Jan;44(1):1–19. doi: 10.1083/jcb.44.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hirakow R. The fine structure of the Necturus (amphibia) heart. Am J Anat. 1971 Dec;132(4):401–422. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001320402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hirakow R. Ultrastructural characteristics of the mammalian and sauropsidan heart. Am J Cardiol. 1970 Feb;25(2):195–203. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(70)90579-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jewett P. H., Leonard S. D., Sommer J. R. Chicken cardiac muscle: its elusive extended junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum and sarcoplasmic reticulum fenestrations. J Cell Biol. 1973 Feb;56(2):595–600. doi: 10.1083/jcb.56.2.595. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Jewett P. H., Sommer J. R., Johnson E. A. Cardiac muscle. Its ultrastructure in the finch and hummingbird with special reference to the sarcoplasmic reticulum. J Cell Biol. 1971 Apr;49(1):50–65. doi: 10.1083/jcb.49.1.50. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Johnson E. A., Sommer J. R. A strand of cardiac muscle. Its ultrastructure and the electrophysiological implications of its geometry. J Cell Biol. 1967 Apr;33(1):103–129. doi: 10.1083/jcb.33.1.103. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kelly D. E. The fine structure of skeletal muscle triad junctions. J Ultrastruct Res. 1969 Oct;29(1):37–49. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(69)80054-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. LUFT J. H. Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1961 Feb;9:409–414. doi: 10.1083/jcb.9.2.409. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Leak L. V. The ultrastructure of myofibers in a reptilian heart: the boa constrictor. Am J Anat. 1967 May;120(3):553–581. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001200308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Legato M. J., Langer G. A. The subcellular localization of calcium ion in mammalian myocardium. J Cell Biol. 1969 May;41(2):401–423. doi: 10.1083/jcb.41.2.401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Martínez-Palomo A., Mendez R. Presence of gap junctions between cardiac cells in the heart of nonmammalian species. J Ultrastruct Res. 1971 Dec;37(5):592–600. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(71)80027-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Okita S. The fine structure of the ventricular muscle cells of the soft-shelled turtle heart (Amyda), with special reference to the sarcoplasmic reticulum. J Electron Microsc (Tokyo) 1971;20(2):107–117. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Page S. G., Niedergerke R. Structures of physiological interest in the frog heart ventricle. J Cell Sci. 1972 Jul;11(1):179–203. doi: 10.1242/jcs.11.1.179. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Peachey L. D. The sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubules of the frog's sartorius. J Cell Biol. 1965 Jun;25(3 Suppl):209–231. doi: 10.1083/jcb.25.3.209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Reuter H., Beeler G. W., Jr Calcium current and activation of contraction in ventricular myocardial fibers. Science. 1969 Jan 24;163(3865):399–401. doi: 10.1126/science.163.3865.399. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rostgaard J., Behnke O. Fine structural localization of adenine nucleoside phosphatase activity in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the T system of rat myocardium. J Ultrastruct Res. 1965 Jun;12(5):579–591. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(65)80049-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rubio R., Sperelakis N. Penetration of horseradish peroxidase into the terminal cisternae of frog skeletal muscle fibers and blockade of caffeine contracture by Ca ++ depletion. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1972;124(1):57–71. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Scott T. M. The ultrastructure of ordinary and Purkinje cells of the fowl heart. J Anat. 1971 Nov;110(Pt 2):259–273. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Shiina S., Mizuhira V. Electron microscopic study on distribution of sodium and potassium ion in cardiac ventricle muscle cells influenced by ouabain. Jpn Circ J. 1970 Nov;34(11):1047–1051. doi: 10.1253/jcj.34.1047. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sommer J. R., Johnson E. A. Cardiac muscle. A comparative ultrastructural study with special reference to frog and chicken hearts. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1969;98(3):437–468. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Sommer J. R., Johnson E. A. Comparative ultrastructure of cardiac cell membrane specializations. A review. Am J Cardiol. 1970 Feb;25(2):184–194. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(70)90578-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Sperelakis N., Rubio R. An orderly lattice of axial tubules which interconnect adjacent transverse tubules in guinea-pig ventricular myocardium. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 1971 Aug;2(3):211–220. doi: 10.1016/0022-2828(71)90054-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. VENABLE J. H., COGGESHALL R. A SIMPLIFIED LEAD CITRATE STAIN FOR USE IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY. J Cell Biol. 1965 May;25:407–408. doi: 10.1083/jcb.25.2.407. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Valeri V., Goncalves R. P., Cruz A. R., Laicine E. M. Tubular structure within the granular endoplasmic reticulum of the pars intermedia of toad hypophysis. J Ultrastruct Res. 1971 Apr;35(1):197–200. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(71)80151-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Walker S. M., Schrodt G. R., Edge M. B. Electron-dense material within sarcoplasmic reticulum apposed to transverse tubules and to the sarcolemma in dog papillary muscle fibers. Am J Anat. 1970 May;128(1):33–43. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001280104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Walker S. M., Schrodt G. R., Edge M. B. The density attached to the inside surface of the apposed sarcoplasmic reticular membrane in vertebrate cardiac and skeletal muscle fibres. J Anat. 1971 Feb;108(Pt 2):217–230. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Yarom R., Ben-Ishay D., Zinder O. Myocardial cationic shifts induced by isoproterenol. Electron microscopic and electron probe studies. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 1972 Dec;4(6):559–570. doi: 10.1016/0022-2828(72)90112-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES