Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Structural modeling study reveals mechanistic bridging of junctional gaps in skeletal muscle, highlighting the spatial basis of excitation-contraction coupling.
Ca2+-ions, stored in a muscle fiber's SR, are rapidly released during electrical activity of the cell membrane to activate force, a process termed excitation-contraction coupling (EC coupling). In this process, the narrow junctional gap between the membrane of the transverse tubules (TT), which conduct the surface action potential into the fiber volume, and the membrane of the terminal cisternae of the SR has to be bridged. The publication by Rios and Pizarro in this journal issue (https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.202613968) offers a model inspired by structural data that comprehensively explains many aspects of the coupling process.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
W. Melzer (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: