The distribution of calcium in toad cardiac pacemaker cells during spontaneous firing

Isolated, spontaneously active pacemaker cells from the sinus venosus region of the toad heart were loaded with the calcium indicator fluo-3. The cells were examined with a confocal microscope to investigate the distribution of calcium during spontaneous activity. Three classes of calcium-related signals were present. First, intense, localised, time-invariant signals were detected from structures distributed across the cell interior. Based on the insensitivity to saponin and the distribution in the cell, these signals appear to arise from fluo-3 located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the nuclear envelope. Second, spatially uniform signals from the cytoplasm were present at rest and showed spontaneous increases in [Ca2+](i) which propagated along the cell. These Ca2+ transients were uniform in intensity across the diameter of the cell and we could detect no significant delay in the middle of the cell compared to the edges. However, within the nucleus the Ca2+ transient showed a clear delay compared to the cytoplasm. Third, localised, transient increases in [Ca2+](i) (Ca2+ sparks) which did not propagate were also detectable. These could be detected both near the surface membrane and in the interior of the cell and reduced in magnitude and increased in duration in the presence of ryanodine. The frequency of firing of Ca2+ sparks significantly increased in the 200-ms period preceding a spontaneous Ca2+ transient. These results suggest that pacemaker cells contain sarcoplasmic reticulum which is distributed across the cell. The Ca2+ transient is uniform across the cell indicating that near-synchronous release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum is achieved. Ca2+ sparks occur in pacemaker cells though their role in pacemaker function remains to be elucidated.