Cardiac Contraction Flashcards
what is the duration of an action potential?
200-500 ms
what does opening the Na+ channels allow?
Allows Na+ to enter and depolarise
K+ channels opening allows what?
K+ efflux, so the membrane potential can be restored
what is the force of contraction proportional to?
The concentration of Ca2+
Higher increases in Ca2+ → increased force of contraction
During the depolarisation “plateau” phase what happens?
Ca2+ and cell shortening occur, CICR
muscle relaxation occurs when….?
when the cell is repolarised (when Ca2+ channels close and K+ channels open)
role of the Na+/K+ pump
pump 3 Na+ out, and pump 2 K+ in, maintain the “salty banana” analogy
what is CICR?
Calcium induced calcium release
Intracellular calcium levels increase from 0.1um to 10um, and this increase is detected by Ryanodine receptors on the SR, Ca2+ binds, which frees Ca2+ stored in the SR. .
what is the SR?
The sarcoplasmic reticulum, it’s a membrane bound structure within muscle cells similar to the ER in other cells. It stores Ca2+.
What are t-tubules?
- Extensions/invaginations of the cell membrane (sarcolemma) that penetrate into the centre of cardiac muscle cells and get close to contractile fibres.
- Inside t-tubules there are a lot of calcium channels.
what is the RyR?
the Ryanodine receptor, which is an intracellular Ca2+ channel
describe the whole process?
AP depolarises T-tubules and activates VGCC’s, causing an influx of Ca2+, which binds to RyR located on the SR (close association with t-tubules). Release of Ca2+ from the SR due to CICR, and the Ca2+ binds to troponin. Suppressive tropomyosin movves, exposing the active sites on actin. The myosin thick filament head binds to active sites, and the intrinsic ATPase activity releases energy, causing the filaments to slide.
A rise in [Ca2+] causes what?
Myosin-actin interactions
Myosin-actin binding sites are blocked by what?
troponin-tropomyosin complex
Troponin has 2 binding sites for what?
one for Ca2+, one for Tropomyosin
Binding of Ca2+to troponin causes what?
conformational changes of tropomyosin, exposing the binding site on actin
after the binding site on actin is exposed, what can the myosin head do?
the myosin head can bind to the actin, forming a cross-bridge
after the cross bridge there is a power stroke, what happens during this phase?
during the power stroke the myosin head bends, ADP and Pi released.
after the ADP and Pi are relased, what happens?
A new molecule of ATP attaches to the myosin head, causing it to detach from actin.
lastly after the new ATP binds what happens?
ATP hydrolysis to ADP and Pi, which returns the myosin to the energy-favourable cocked position ready to bind to actin
how many regulatory subunits is troponin made up of- name them and give their function:
Troponin T (TnT) -binds to tropomyosin
Troponin I (TnI) -binds to actin filaments
Troponin C (TnC) -binds to Ca2+