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. 1967 Jul 1;50(6):1709–1728. doi: 10.1085/jgp.50.6.1709

Nickel Substitution for Calcium in Excitation-Contraction Coupling of Skeletal Muscle

Donald A Fischman 1, Roy C Swan 1
PMCID: PMC2225734  PMID: 4227212

Abstract

In 1962 Frank (22) reported that the addition of any one of a number of divalent cations, including Ni, to a Ca-free Ringer solution prevented the rapid loss of contractility seen in the absence of external Ca. To investigate further the Ni-Ca substitution, studies were made of 45Ca and 63Ni exchange during contraction and at rest using frog striated muscle. In contrast to 45Ca, it was found that there is no increase of 63Ni uptake associated with a K contracture of the sartorius muscle. The rates of loss of 63Ni and 45Ca from resting toe muscles previously bathed in the respective radioisotopes are not significantly different. Resting and action potentials, after 1 hr in a Ringer solution with Ni replacing Ca, closely resemble these potentials in normal Ca-Ringer's solution. Studies on the syneresis of isolated myofibrils indicate that Ni cannot replace Ca in activating this reaction. It is suggested that Ca is required for at least two steps in E-C coupling: one is the spread of excitation at the sarcolemma and transverse tubular system; the second is the activation of actomyosin ATPase. Conceivably Ni can substitute for Ca in the former but not in the latter.

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Selected References

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

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