Structures of the colossal RyR1 calcium release channel.

Oliver B Clarke, Wayne A Hendrickson

Journal: Current opinion in structural biology 2017;39():144-152

PMID: 27687475

Free Full Text on PubMed Central View on PubMed

Abstract

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are intracellular cation channels that mediate the rapid and voluminous release of Ca from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) as required for excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac and skeletal muscle. Understanding of the architecture and gating of RyRs has advanced dramatically over the past two years, due to the publication of high resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) reconstructions and associated atomic models of multiple functional states of the skeletal muscle receptor, RyR1. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of RyR architecture and gating, and highlight remaining gaps in understanding which we anticipate will soon be filled.

Address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2016.09.002