Summary
The morphology of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in myocardial cells of the ventricle of the trout heart is described as the result of an investigation with the electron microscope. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is sparse in distribution compared to that of birds or mammals but shows a fundamentally similar organization. A very loose network of fine tubules is in intimate contact with the myofibrils but with no local modification with respect to the arrangement of myofilaments within the sarcomeres. There is no special association of the sarcoplasmic reticulum with the Z-bands. Some tubules pass to the cell periphery where they expand to form subsarcolemmal cisternae in which electron-dense matter is often seen. The occurrence of the subsarcolemmal cisternae (peripheral couplings) is random and they are not observed in the vicinity of intercalated discs. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is discussed in relation to excitation-contraction coupling in teleost myocardial cells, and in comparison with that of other vertebrates.
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I am grateful to Professor J. D. Lever for making certain facilities available, and to Mr. P. F. Hire for photographic assistance.
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Santer, R.M. The organization of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in teleost ventricular myocardial cells. Cell Tissue Res. 151, 395–402 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224549
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224549