JUNCTION OF SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM WITH TRANSVERSE TUBULAR SYSTEM MEMBRANES OF RABBIT MYOCARDIAL CELLS / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Junctions of myocardial cell, specially the intraeellular junctions of transverse tubule system with sarcoplasmie reticulum membranes were observed and described in the present paper. The tubular invaginations of the sarcolemma constitutes the transverse tubule (T tubule) which surround the myofibril in rabbit. The transverse tubular system of cardiac muscle are well developed. The tubule has an elliptical shape in cross section and 15 nm in diameter and is constantly located at the level of Z line. The sarcoplasmic retieulum consists of a simple plexiform arrangement of tubular elements forming a loose network around the myofibrillae. Small terminal expansions of the reticulum are closely applied to the membrane of the T tubules to form Diad. The membranes of the small flattened expansions of the reticulum and T tubules are in contact with each other, but the lumina of the two elements do not communicate. There is a gap of about I0 nm between them and foot processes from the membrane of sarcoplasmic reticulum are regularly extended toward the Ttubules. In addition, intracellular membranous junctions are observed between T tubules and sarcoplasmic reticulum of Diad. Each junction with membrane area of about 375 nm long becomes thicker and divides into two layers. Between them there is a gap of 31 nm wide, in which it is filled up with electron, dense material, forming some discontinuous spots which consisted of dense and light areas arranged at regular intervals.