Intracellular Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum contributes importantly to atrial pacemaker function.
Highlights the important contribution of intracellular Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to mammalian atrial pacemaker activity.
Electrical excitation of the mammalian heart originates from specialized pacemaker cells in the right atrium. Pacemaker activity depends on multiple ion channels and transport mechanisms that reside primarily within the plasma membrane. However, recent evidence indicates that intracellular Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum also contributes importantly to atrial pacemaker function.
Lipsius et al. (2001) studied this question. Intracellular Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum contributes importantly to atrial pacemaker function.