Muscle-cell surface

Membrane alanyl aminopeptidase (microsomal aminopeptidase, amino-peptidase M, EC 3.4.11.2) and peptidyl-dipeptidase A (angiotensin I converting enzyme, EC 3.4.15.1) located in the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cell surface modulate the levels of vasoactive peptides [23], One of the roles of membrane-bound enzymes is to switch off the action of peptides in the vicinity of the target or to prevent them from gaining access to a region containing receptors that are activated only by locally released peptides. 

Inhibitors of ADPRT activity reversibly block both muscle cell fusion and the rise in creatine phosphokinase activity associated with this cell differentiation. Myoblast fusion is inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner in the continuous presence of either 3-aminobenzamide or 3-methoxybenzamide (Fig. 6a). These inhibitors do not inhibit proliferation of myoblasts (Fig. 6b). The non-inhibitory analogues, 3-amino-benzoate and 3-methoxybenzoate caused no significant inhibition of fusion at corresponding concentrations (Fig. 6a). Inhibitors of nuclear ADPRT not only block myoblast fusion (Fig. 7a), but they also prevent the usual increase in creatine phosphokinase activity (Fig. 7b). Both the inhibition of cell fusion and of the increase in creatine phosphokinase activity by ADPRT inhibitors, is reversible (Fig. 7a,b). Inhibitors of ADPRT activity also inhibit the appearance of acetylcholine receptors on the muscle cell surface. 

A protein s structure is critical to its function. For example, recall from Section 21.1 that insulin is a protein that promotes the absorption of glucose out of the blood and into muscle cells where the glucose is needed for energy. InsuUn recognizes muscle cells because muscle cell surfaces contain insulin receptors, molecules that fit a specific portion of the insulin protein. If insnlin were a different shape, it would not latch onto insulin receptors on muscle cells and conld not do its job. Thus, the shape or conformation of a protein is crucial to its function. 

Acetylcholine serves as a neurotransmitter. Removal of acetylcholine within the time limits of the synaptic transmission is accomplished by acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The time required for hydrolysis of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction is less than a millisecond (turnover time is 150 ps) such that one molecule of AChE can hydrolyze 6 105 acetylcholine molecules per minute. The Km of AChE for acetylcholine is approximately 50-100 pM. AChE is one of the most efficient enzymes known. It works at a rate close to catalytic perfection where substrate diffusion becomes rate limiting. AChE is expressed in cholinergic neurons and muscle cells where it is found attached to the outer surface of the cell membrane. 

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) express the isoforms ECE-la, -lb, -Id and ECE-2. In these cells, ET-1 is secreted via both a constitutive and a regulated pathway. The ratio of released ET-1 big-ET-1 is 4 1. About 80% of the ET-1 is secreted at the abluminal cell surface of endothelial cells. ECE-isoforms are abundantly expressed on the cell surface of endothelial cells and to a lower level also on vascular smooth muscle cells. In atherosclerotic lesions of vessels, however, ECE expression in smooth muscle cells is upregulated. ECE isoforms expressed in smooth muscle cells contribute significantly to the generation of mature ET in normal and in particular atherosclerotic vessels. 

Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the synapse or junction of the axon terminal of motoneurons with the highly excitable region of the muscle fibre s plasma membrane. Neuronal signals pass through the NMJ via the neurotransmitter ACh. Consequent initiation of action potentials across the muscle s cell surface ultimately causes the muscle contraction. 

AT-tubule is a transverse invagination of the sarcolem-ma, which occurs at characteristic sites in animal species and organs, i.e. at the Z-membrane in cardiac ventricle muscle and non-mammalian vertebrate skeletal muscle and at the A-I junction in mammalian skeletal muscle. It is absent in all avian cardiac cells, all cardiac conduction cells, many mammalian atrial cells and most smooth muscle cells. It serves as an inward conduit for the action potential. The surface area in the skeletal muscle can reach 6-8 times that of a cylinder with the same radius. In the T-tubule, Na-channel, Ca-channel and other important channels and transporters can be detected. 

Voluntary muscle contraction is initiated in the brain-eliciting action potentials which are transmitted via motor nerves to the neuromuscular junction where acetylcholine is released causing a depolarization of the muscle cell membrane. An action potential is formed which is spread over the surface membrane and into the transverse (T) tubular system. The action potential in the T-tubular system triggers Ca " release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) into the myoplasm where Ca " binds to troponin C and activates actin. This results in crossbridge formation between actin and myosin and muscle contraction. 

After mRNA splicing, the tropoelastin mRNA is translated at the surface of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) in a variety of cells smooth muscle cells, endothelial and microvascular cells, chondrocytes and fibroblasts. The approximately 70 kDa precursor protein (depending on isoform) is synthesized with an N-terminal 26-amino-acid signal peptide. This nascent polypeptide chain is transported into the lumen of the RER, where the signal peptide is removed cotranslationally [9]. 

The entry rate of glucose into red blood cells is far greater than would be calculated for simple diffusion. Rather, it is an example of facilitated diffiision (Chapter 41). The specific protein involved in this process is called the glucose transporter or glucose permease. Some of its properties are summarized in Table 52-3-The process of entry of glucose into red blood cells is of major importance because it is the major fuel supply for these cells. About seven different but related glucose transporters have been isolated from various tissues unlike the red cell transporter, some of these are insidin-dependent (eg, in muscle and adipose tissue). There is considerable interest in the latter types of transporter because defects in their recruitment from intracellular sites to the surface of skeletal muscle cells may help explain the insulin resistance displayed by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. 

Most living cells, including muscle, maintain the cytoplasmic Ca concentration at submicromolar levels, against steep gradients of [Ca ], both at the cell surface and across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane [17]. In the musele cell two membrane systems are primarily involved in this function the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the surface membrane. 

Our discussion here will concentrate on the various forms of the Ca " transport ATPases that occur in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle cells of diverse fiber types and in the endoplasmic reticulum of nonmuscle cells (SERCA). The structure of these enzymes will be compared with the Ca transport ATPases of surface membranes (PMCA) [3,29-32,34] and with other ATP-dependent ion pumps that transport Na, K, andH [46,50-52]. 

Another prominent site of deposition of (5-amyloid fibrils with age and in AD is within the cerebrovasculature in areas of the brain prone to parenchymal amyloid deposition [137-139]. The peptide deposits along the surfaces of the smooth muscle cells of the vascular wall, resulting in the death of those cells and their replacement by amyloid fibrils, weakening the vascular wall. Endothelial cells are also affected [140]. The Dutch mutation in the APP precursor protein Q22E, within the (5-peptide sequence, produces a particularly fibrillogenic and toxic (to smooth muscle cells) peptide associated with primarily vascular deposition of mutant peptide and hemorrhagic vessel disease [137]. Thus, in addition to neuronal cells, the brain vascular smooth muscle cells are a pathologically relevant cell type. While the source of... 

Van Nostrand WE, Melchor JP, Ruffini L. Pathologic amyloid beta-protein cell surface fibril assembly on cultured human cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells. J Neurochem 1998 70 216-223. 

Motor end-plate or neuromuscular junction = axon terminal in apposition to specialized surface of muscle cell membrane... 

Because there are no sarcomeres in smooth muscle, there are no Z lines. Instead, the actin filaments are attached to dense bodies. These structures, which contain the same protein as Z lines, are positioned throughout the cytoplasm of the smooth muscle cell as well as attached to the internal surface of the plasma membrane. Myosin filaments are associated with the actin filaments, forming contractile bundles oriented in a diagonal manner. This arrangement forms a diamond-shaped lattice of contractile elements throughout the cytoplasm. Consequently, the interaction of actin and myosin during contraction causes the cell to become shorter and wider. 

All cell membranes contain transmembrane proteins that form ion channels. These ion channels are usually selectively permeable to particular ions. Some channels, such as GABA-gated ion channels, are permeable to Cl ions and are inhibitory in nature because they make the inside of the nerve or muscle cells more negative as the Cl ions enter. Some ion channels are permeable to the cations Na and K, and an example of this type is the nicotinic acetylcholine-gated channel. Nicotinic channels have an excitatory effect when they open because Na ions enter and K ions leave through these channels. The cell becomes more positive inside and depolarizes. If the cell is a muscle cell, calcium accumulates in the cytoplasm and it contracts. We have found that all over the surface of Ascaris muscle there are GABA receptors (Martin, 1980) as well as nicotinic acetylcholine channels (Martin, 1982 Robertson and Martin, 1993). 

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