Dynamics of Triad Organization

Skeletal muscle contraction results of massive intracellular calcium release after stimulation. This calcium release is mediated by the calcium release complex (CRC) and occurs in a very specific sub-compartment of muscle cells, the triads. Triads are formed by the close apposition of two sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) terminal cisternae (TC) on both sides of an invagination of the plasma membrane, the transverse-tubule. All CRC proteins are exclusively localized at the triad, but the molecular mechanisms leading to their traffic and localization at the triads are so far unknown.