Identification of Ca2+-Release Channels in Smooth Muscle and Isolated Membranes

Ca2+ plays an important role in muscle contraction. Two major Ca2+ release channels have been suggested to be present in smooth muscle by functional studies: one is sensitive to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and the other is operated by Ca2+ and also sensitive to ryanodine. The existence of these two channels in smooth muscle has been confirmed recently by radioligand binding studies using subcellular membrane and named IP3 and ryanodine …