Abstract
Although Ca2+-dependent signaling pathways are important for skeletal muscle plasticity, the sources of Ca2+ that activate these signaling pathways are not completely understood. Influx of Ca2+ through surface membrane Ca2+ channels may activate these pathways. We examined expression of two L-type Ca2+ channels in adult skeletal muscle, the CaV 1.1 and CaV 1.2, with isoform-specific antibodies in Western blots and immunocytochemistry assays. Consistent with a large body of work, expression of the CaV 1.1 was restricted to skeletal muscle where it was expressed in T-tubules. CaV 1.2 was also expressed in skeletal muscle, in the sarcolemma of type I and IIa myofibers. Exercise-induced alterations in muscle fiber types cause a concomitant increase in the number of both CaV 1.2 and type IIa-positive fibers. Taken together, these data suggest that the CaV 1.2 Ca2+ channel is expressed in adult skeletal muscle in a fiber type-specific manner, which may help to maintain oxidative muscle phenotype.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 482-490 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Muscle and Nerve |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2007 |
Keywords
- Calcineurin
- Exercise
- Fiber type specificity
- L-type voltage-gated calcium channel
- Muscle plasticity