About this Research Topic
Cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle have very different functions, but find commonality in their contractile properties, governed by cellular calcium levels. The regulation of many signalling processes differs dramatically between muscle types but has many shared pathways. This is particularly notable in drugs targeting calcium channels and the beta-adrenergic cascade (including phosphodiesterases, PDEs), which often affect the vasculature, skeletal and cardiac muscle together. The action of these drugs influences whole organ systems, but they act on single proteins or on highly discrete signalling domains affecting proteins that either directly interact or are only tens of nanometres apart. These signalling nanodomains are only now being understood as new tools for their investigation have become available.
Common processes regulate the function of cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle. The close proximity of proteins is often necessary for distinct and local signaling functions. Investigation of such nanodomains may involve the regulation of a second messenger, such as Ca2+ or cAMP, or the clustering of proteins which affect their function.
Similar mechanisms may shape these nanoscale signaling domains in multiple muscle types. This Research Topic aims to group novel studies on the underlying mechanisms of nanodomain regulation in one place with the purpose to further researcher’s knowledge and help the development of future treatments for muscle pathologies such as heart disease and hypertension.
We welcome submissions related to but not limited to the following sub-topics:
• The role of nanodomain signalling in cardiac arrhythmia
• Advances in understanding of signaling and structure of the membrane nanostructures
• Advances in understanding of protein-protein interactions in muscle nanodomains
• New imaging techniques which help resolve nanodomain structure and function
• Disease modulation of signaling nanodomains in muscle
• Novel studies of muscle AKAPs
• Novel studies of muscle PDEs
• Role of ROS in muscle pathologies
• Computational modelling of nanodomain behavior
Common processes regulate the function of cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle. The close proximity of proteins is often necessary for distinct and local signaling functions. Investigation of such nanodomains may involve the regulation of a second messenger, such as Ca2+ or cAMP, or the clustering of proteins which affect their function.
Similar mechanisms may shape these nanoscale signaling domains in multiple muscle types. This Research Topic aims to group novel studies on the underlying mechanisms of nanodomain regulation in one place with the purpose to further researcher’s knowledge and help the development of future treatments for muscle pathologies such as heart disease and hypertension.
We welcome submissions related to but not limited to the following sub-topics:
• The role of nanodomain signalling in cardiac arrhythmia
• Advances in understanding of signaling and structure of the membrane nanostructures
• Advances in understanding of protein-protein interactions in muscle nanodomains
• New imaging techniques which help resolve nanodomain structure and function
• Disease modulation of signaling nanodomains in muscle
• Novel studies of muscle AKAPs
• Novel studies of muscle PDEs
• Role of ROS in muscle pathologies
• Computational modelling of nanodomain behavior
Keywords: Nano-Regulation, Muscle Contraction, Cardiac and Smooth Muscle, Ion Channel Clustering
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
