Cyclic ADP-ribose, the ryanodine receptor and Ca2+ release.

In a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate tissues the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ channel is the pathway for Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. The mechanism for activation of the ryanodine receptor-channel complex appears to depend both on the ryanodine receptor isoform and the cell type. In addition, a complex combination of endogenous intracellular compounds regulates channel gating. In this article, Rebecca Sitsapesan, Stephen McGarry and Alan Williams review the mechanisms involved in cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR)-induced Ca2+ release and discuss the likelihood that cADPR-activated Ca2+ release is mediated by one of the recognized isoforms of the ryanodine receptor-Ca2+ channel complex.