Calcium in Muscle Activation

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XIV

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2. Introduction

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 1-2

3. Muscle Excitation and Contraction

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 3-27

4. The Sarcoplasmic Reticulum: Storage and Release of Calcium

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 29-58

5. The Dependence of Muscle Contraction and Relaxation on the Intracellular Concentration of Free Calcium Ions

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 59-81

6. Troponin, the On-Off Switch of Muscle Contraction in Striated Muscle

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 83-113

7. Diversity of Fast and Slow Striated Muscle

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 115-142

8. Myosin-Linked Regulation of Molluscan Muscle

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 143-164

9. The Vertebrate Heart: Modulation of Calcium Control

   • Johann Caspar Rüegg

   Pages 165-200

10. Vertebrate Smooth Muscle

    • Johann Caspar Rüegg

    Pages 201-238

11. Principles of Calcium Signalling in Muscle

    • Johann Caspar Rüegg

    Pages 239-248

12. Concluding Remarks and Future Prospects

    • Johann Caspar Rüegg

    Pages 249-250

13. Back Matter

    Pages 251-300

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This book offers a comparative and interdisciplinary approach to excitation-contraction-coupling in smooth and striated mus­ cles, including the myocardium. It is an account of the path­ ways and mechanisms by which cellular calcium is handled and activates the contractile proteins. It also describes how these mechanisms are adapted in various kinds of muscle to meet specific functional requirements, such as speed or economy. This monograph then presents facts, ideas and theories and the evidence on which they are based, and ifit stimulates others and furthers research, it will have served its purpose. All of the chapters are self-contained and may be read in any order, but readers unfamiliar with muscle are recommended to start with the introductory chapter on excitation and contraction. During all the years of writing this book, I received enormous help from Isolde Berger who corrected, edited and transformed my innumerable notes and drafts into a readable manuscript; she also compiled the list of references and the Subject Index. I owe a great debt of gratitude to her and also to Claudia Zeugner, who prepared the figures with expertise and care. Then I would like to thank the Deutsche F orschungs­ gemeinschaft and the Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung for supporting the work of my Department which has been reported in this monograph. A great many people contributed with helpful discussions.

• Activation
• Calcium
• muscle
• protein
• proteins

• Department of Physiology II, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

  Johann Caspar Rüegg

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